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1 Rook Pawn Endings 1 Philidor Rook endgames are important to understand. After many exchanges in the middlegame and early ending,we often end-up with such endings.it is of vital importance to know the different winning and drawing methods.this position was analysed by A.Philidor in the 18th century. 1.e5 Rg6 Black is waiting for the pawn to move to the 6th rank. [ 1...Rh1 would be an error 2.Kd6 Rd1+ 3.Ke6 Rd8 4.Rh7 and white wins ] 2.e6 Rg1! The white king can now not hide from checks. 3.Kd6 Rd1+ with a draw.this method of holding the draw is called the philidor method. Passive rook Black's rook is forced to remain passive due to mating threats on the backrank 1...Rc8 2.Rb7 Ra8 3.Rg7+ Kf8 [ 3...Kh8 4.Rh7+ Kg8 5.f7+ Kf8 6.Rh8+ winning ] 4.Rh7 Kg8 5.f7+ Kf8 6.Rh8+ winning Pawn on 6th In this position,the white king is not sheltered by the pawn,resulting in a draw. 1.Kf5 Trying to hide on g6 [ 1.Rb7 threatening 2. h7 Ra6+ 2.Kf5 Ra1! -Draw ] 1...Ra1! and black reaches a philidor position- Draw

2 Rook Pawn Endings 2 Stalemate How can black hold a draw in this seemingly hopeless position? 1...Rf7+!! [ 1...Ra8 2.Rc7 and white wins ] 2.Ke5 [ 2.exf7 Stalemate! ] 2...Rf1 Draw Shortside In rook endgames one will frequently come across the terms'longside' and 'Shortside'. Let us look at this example to see why knowing these definitions is important. 1.Kd4 there are only two ranks between the pawn and rook.this proves insufficient to prevent the pawn from advancing. Rd7+ 2.Kc5 Rc7+ 3.Kd5 Rd7+ 4.Kc6 Rd8 and the pawn advances 5.c Longside In this example,the distance between the pawn and rook is three ranks.this proves enough to stop the pawn from advancing 1.Kd4 Rd8+ 2.Kc5 Rc8+ 3.Kb5 Rb8+ 4.Ka6 Rc8! [ 4...Ra8+ not 5.Kb7 and the pawn can advance ] 5.Kb5 Rb8+ This example helps us understand what is meant by longside and shortside.the longside is defined as the side where the distance checking with the rook is atleast three files or ranks.

3 Rook Pawn Endings 3 Pawn on fifth This is an important position,whose defensive technique,one should commit to memory.how is black supposed to defend this position.the pawn is not yet on the sixth rank,which offers white a shelter for the king. The first question is,what is white threatening?to check on a8 then f6+.so f6 is the main threat 1...Rf1! [ 1...Rb6+ loses after 2.f6 Rb8 3.Rh7 ] [ 1...Rg1+ 2.Kf6 Kg8 3.Ra8+ Kh7 4.Ke6 and white wins ] 2.Kf6! As white is threatening mate it is obvious that black should move her rook.the question is to e8 or g8? [After 2.Ra8+ Ke7 white cannot make progress ] 2...Kg8! Black leaves the longer side for her rook to check the white king. [ 2...Ke8? 3.Ra8+ Kd7 4.Rf8! Rf2 5.Kg7 Ke7 6.f6+ Kd7 7.Ra8 and white wins ] 3.Ra8+ Kh7 4.Rf8 Ra1! Now we see why it was important to move to g8 with the king 5.Re8 white is threatening to move to f7 with the king [ 5.Ke7 Ra7+ 6.Ke6 Ra6+ and white cannot make progress ] 5...Rf1! and white cannot progress.drawn Knights pawn drawn + + In this endgame with a knight pawn,black is in a passive position but white is unable to win. 1.Rh7+ Kg8 2.Rc7 Ra8 drawn,since white cannot make progress. Knight's pawn bad king In this position the king on f8 is not in a favourable position.if the king was on g8,then the black rook could move to f8 with a drawn position. 1...Ra1 [ 1...Kg8 does not work,since the white king

4 Rook Pawn Endings 4 can reach the primary keysquare on h7 2.Rb8+ Rf8 3.Rxf8+ Kxf8 4.Kh7 winning ] [ 1...Rg1 2.Rb8+ Ke7 3.Rg8 Rg2 4.Kh7 winning since black cannot stop g6 ] 2.Rb8+ Ke7 3.Kh6 Rh1+ 4.Kg7 Rg1 5.g6 Rg2 6.Kh7 Kf6 7.Rf8+ Ke7 8.g7 winning Lucena This position,with the king infront of the pawn on the 7th and the opposing king cut-off was analysed by lucena around 1497.It is called the Lucena position and is known to be winning. 1.Rf4! [ 1.Ke7 Re2+ 2.Kd6 Rd2+ 3.Ke6 Re2+ 4.Kd5 Rd2+ 5.Kc6 Rc2+ does not work ] 1...Rc1 2.Ke7 Re1+ 3.Kd6 Rd1+ 4.Ke6 Re1+ [If 4...Rd2 white plays 5.Rf5 Kg6 6.Rd5 winning ] 5.Kd5 Rd1+ 6.Rd4 and white wins.this method is also called 'building the bridge' Rook on longside Black's rook is on the longside and black saves the game. 1...Ra8+ 2.Kd7 Ra7+ 3.Kd6 Ra6+ 4.Kd5 Ra5+ 5.Kc6 Ra6+ 6.Kb7 Re6 winning the pawn and drawing. + + Two files With only two files separating the rook and pawn,black is not able to hold the position. 1...Rb8+ [ 1...Rb3 2.Rg1+ Kh7 ( 2...Kf6 3.Kf8 ) 3.Rg4! winning ] 2.Kd7 Rb7+ 3.Kd8 Rb8+ 4.Kc7 Ra8 black threatens to now check from a position with three files separating. 5.Ra1!! Re8 6.Kd7 winning

5 Rook Pawn Endings 5 Rookpawn The a and h-pawns are normaly difficult to win. The reason for this is that the king has a tough time moving out of it's boxed-in position.the pawn is also only able to shelter the king from vertical checks and not the horizontal.this position is drawn since the king is unable to move out of a8. 1.Rh7+ Kc8 2.Rh8+ Kc7 3.Rb8 Rc2 4.Rb7+ Kc8 Rook pawn win This position is winning since the black king is not boxing the white king.the winning method is instructive for similar situations. 1.Rb8 Rc1 2.Kb7 Rb1+ 3.Kc8 Rc1+ 4.Kd8 Rh1! 5.Rb6+ [ 5.Ke8 loses the a-pawn Rh8+ 6.Kf7 Rh7+ 7.Kf6 Rxa7 ] 5...Kc5 6.Rc6+! [ 6.Ra6 proves not to be enough for the win, as Rh8+ 7.Ke7 Rh7+ 8.Kf8 Rh8+ 9.Kg7 Ra8 10.Kf7 Kb5 11.Ra1 Kb6 Draws ] 6...Kb5 [ 6...Kd5 7.Ra6 Rh8+ 8.Kc7 Ra8 9.Kb7 wins ] Rc8! Rh8+ 8.Kc7 Rh7+ 9.Kb8 and white wins Study This is a beautiful study by A.Troitsky 1.Kf4 white is threatening to check on g8 and promote Kf2 forced 2.Ke4 Ke2 3.Kd4 Kd2 4.Kc5! Kc3 5.Rc8 Rxa7 6.Kb6+ winning

6 Rook Pawn Endings 6 Pawn on 6th It is still difficult with the pawn on the 6th.This position is still drawn 1.Rh7+ Kc8 2.Rb7 Rc1 3.Kb6 Rb1+ 4.Kc6 Rxb7 5.axb7+ Kb8 6.Kb6 Pawn on 6th king far + + This position is winning as the defending king is too far from the action. 1.Rb8 Rc1 2.Kb7 threatening to push the pawn Rb1+ 3.Ka8! Ra1 4.a7 Kd6 5.Kb7 Rb1+ 6.Kc8 Rc1+ 7.Kd8 Rh1 8.Rb6+ Kc5 9.Rc6+ Kb5 10.Rc8 Rh8+ 11.Kc7 Rh7+ 12.Kb8 winning King cut off As a rule,once the defending king is vertically cut and the distance between king and pawn is more than four files,the position is winning. 1...Re4+ The king is cut-off and the rook fights a lonely struggle against the pawn. 2.Kb5 Re5+ 3.Kc6 Re6+ 4.Kd7 Ra6 against any other rookmove,white will also play 5. a1 and push the pawn. 5.Ra1 Kf6 6.a5 Ke5 7.Kc7 Kd5 8.Kb7 Rh6 9.a6 Rh7+ 10.Kb6 Rh6+ 11.Kb5 Rh8 12.a7 Ra8 13.Kb6 winning A.Cheron In this analysis by A.Cheron,black is able to daw using the help of the rook to bring the king closer.notice that the distance between pawn and king is only three files. 1.Kb5 Rd8! If the rook is exchanged,black's king will reach c8 intime. [ 1...Rb8+ is an error 2.Kc6 Rb1 3.a6 Ra1 4.Kb6 Rb1+ 5.Ka5! Ra1+ 6.Ra4 winning ] 2.Rc4 Rb8+!

7 Rook Pawn Endings [ 2...Kd7 3.a6 Ra8 ( 3...Rc8 4.a7! ) 4.Rh4 Kc7 5.Rh7+ Kd6 6.a7 winning ] 3.Ka4 Kd7 4.a6 Rc8 5.Rb4 Rh8! [ 5...Kc7 6.Rb7+ Kc6 It is always difficult if the king is cut-off horizontally. 7.Ka5 Rh8 8.Rb6+ Kc7 9.a7 Rh1 10.Ra6 winning ] 6.Ka5 Kc7 7.a7 [ 7.Rb7+ Kc8! ] 7...Rh5+ 8.Ka4 Rh8 draw A pawn This position is a known draw.white cannot make progress,when he approaches to defend the pawn,black checks the king. 1.Kb6 Rb1+ 2.Kc7 Ra1 3.Kc6 Ra2 4.Kc5 Ra1 5.Kb4 Kh7 6.Kb3 Kg7 7.Kb2 Ra6 Draw + + A and g pawns + + The g-pawn still does not change the outcome of the position. 1.Kb6 Rb1+ 2.Kc6 Ra1 3.g4 Ra2 4.g5 Ra1 5.g6 Ra2 black should just ignore the g-pawn and white cannot make progress. [ 5...Kxg6?? 6.Rg8+ Kf7 7.a8Q winning ] 6.Kb6 Rb2+ 7.Kc5 Ra2 Draw

8 Rook Pawn Endings 8 A and h pawn This position is also drawn.black reacts the same way she did with the g-pawn. 1.Kb6 Rb1+ 2.Kc6 Ra1 3.h4 Ra2 4.h5 Ra1 5.h6+ Kh7! [ 5...Kxh6?? 6.Rh8+ Kg7 7.a8Q winning ] 6.Kb6 Rb1+ 7.Kc5 Ra1 draw A and f pawn The f-pawn changes the situation completely. white is winning. 1.f4 Ra6 2.f5 Ra5 3.f6+! Kf7 [ 3...Kxf6 4.Rf8+ Ke7 5.a8Q winning ] 4.Rh8! This is the idea! white will skewer the rook Rxa7 5.Rh7+ winning