The Ending of Rook and Pawn vs. Rook

The intricacies of this ending are fairly easy to master, and when learned will inform your play leading up to the capture of the second-last Pawn on the board.

There are 3 basic types of this ending. First, when the Black (weak side) King is blocking the advance of the White (strong side) Pawn. This is called Philidor's Position, and it is drawn if Black knows what he's doing. The technique for Black is to leave his Rook on his 3rd rank until the White King threatens to go to his 6th rank (i.e., when the White Pawn pushes to the 6th), at which time the Black Rook promptly goes to the 8th where it will check the White King indefinitely. This sounds simple, but, as will be seen, is easy to forget during the hustle and bustle of a bullet game.

The second type of this ending is where the White Rook cuts off the Black King from the file the Pawn is on. If the Pawn is advanced as far as the 5th rank, White can then force Lucena's position, a pretty winning maneuver known for many centuries. Again, the complexities come in during the play leading up to the capture of the second-last Pawn.

The third type is the special case of the Rook Pawn. In this ending, the White King will be on Rook 8 and trapped in there by the Black Rook which has taken up residence on the Knight file. To win this, the Black King must be cut off by many files, i.e., has to be clear over on the other side of the board from the White Pawn. To win White must move his Rook to the Knight 8 square to oppose Rooks, and then his King escapes in whichever direction is allowed, depending on the placement of the Black King. This maneuver takes 3 moves (if Black's King is correctly positioned on his first or second rank), and during this time the Black King can creep closer and closer to the scene of the action, which is why it must be cut off by so many files at the start of the maneuver, so that he cannot get to his Bishop 2 square near the Pawn.

I will present two games illustrating each of these three types. In the first, as Black against Wannabee on 11/15/06, White should have followed the above procedure by playing 77 Ra3 f3 78 Ra8 drawn. Note that after 77 Ra1? Kg3! (not 77...Kf3? 78 Ra3ch Kg4 79 Rc3 f3 80 Rc8 drawn) it is now too late to go to the 8th rank, as 78 Ra8 Rb1ch 79 Ke2 f3ch 80 Kd2 Kg2 and Black has converted the position to Lucena's Position. I note also that in a game with a 10-second increment, White spent only 2 seconds on his 77th move. These endings need to be thought through more carefully than that!

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6 6. Be3 Bg7 7. f3 O-O 8. Qd2 Nc6 9. O-O-O d5 10. exd5 Nxd5 11. Nxd5 Qxd5 12. Nxc6 Qxc6 13. Qb4 Bf5 14. Bd3 Bxd3 15. Rxd3 Rac8 16. Qb3 a5 17. c3 a4 18. Qa3 b5 19. Rhd1 Qc4 20. Qxe7 Qxa2 21. Qa3 Qxa3 22. bxa3 Bxc3 23. Kb1 Bg7 24. Rd5 Rc3 25. R1d3 Rxd3 26. Rxd3 Re8 27. Kc2 Rc8+ 28. Kd2 Be5 29. h3 Bb2 30. g4 Bc1+ 31. Ke2 Re8 32. Kf2 Bxe3+ 33. Rxe3 Rc8?

Here I miss an easy win with 33...RxR 34 KxR b4 35 Kd3 b3-+. But then I wouldn't have gotten to play the interesting Rook and Pawn endgame!

34. Re5 Rc3 35. Rxb5 Rxa3 36. Ra5 Kg7

We have arrived at the very common Rook-and-Pawn endgame of 3 Pawns each on the King-side, with one side having an extra Pawn on the a-file. My favorite resource for studying endings like this is "A Guide to Chess Endings", by Max Euwe and David Hopper. They analyze an amazing 7 endings like this, and give the rule-of-thumb that the ending is won if the strong side has his Rook *behind* his passed Pawn, but only drawn if, as here, the strong side's Rook is *in front of* his Pawn.

37. Kg3 Ra1 38. Kf4 a3 39. h4 a2 40. g5 Rh1

White has been careful not to blunder by allowing a Rook check followed by promotion of the a-Pawn. Consequently, I must try trading my passed Pawn for one of his King-side Pawns.

41. Rxa2 Rxh4+ 42. Kg3 Rb4 43. f4 Rb7 44. Kg4 Rb1 45. Ra6 Rg1+ 46. Kf3 h5 47. gxh6+ Kxh6 48. Ra7 Kg7 49. Ra5 Rf1+ 50. Kg3 Rb1 51. Ra7 Kf6 52. Ra6+ Kg7 53. Ra7 Rg1+ 54. Kf3 Rf1+ 55. Kg3 Rg1+ 56. Kf2 Rg4 57. Kf3 Rg1 58. Kf2 Rb1 59. Kg3 Rb6 60. Kg4 Kf6 61. Ra5 Rb1 62. Ra6+ Kg7 63. Ra5 f5+

After many meaningless Rook moves, I finally make some progress!

64. Kf3 Kh6 65. Ra3 Rh1 66. Kg2 Rb1 67. Rh3+ Kg7 68. Ra3 Rb2+ 69. Kf3 Kh6 70. Ra8 Rb3+ 71. Kg2 Kh5 72. Ra6 Kg4 73. Rxg6+ Kxf4

We finally arrive at R+P vs. R. His King is in front of the Pawn, so he should be able to use the rules for Philidor's Position to achieve the draw.

74. Ra6 Rb2+ 75. Kf1 Kg4 76. Ra4+ f4 77. Ra1??

He must play 77 Ra3, following Philidor's Rule. Then if 77...f3, he can play 78 Ra8 and his Rook will be able to check my King off of the 6th rank.

Kg3 78. Ra3+ f3 79. Ra1 Rh2 80. Kg1 f2+ 81. Kf1 Rh1+ {White resigns} 0-1

                               *****

In the next game, played against katzparov on 7/13/00, it is my turn to mess up Philidor's Position.  Instead of the careless 50...Rb5ch, I need to take my 3rd rank with 50...Rb6.  If he then plays 51 f5, I need to immediately take my 8th with 51...Rb1.  The nuance here is that after 51 f5 he is already threatening to get his King on the 6th, since the Pawn advances with check; e.g., if 51...Ra6? 52 f6ch! (Not 52 Rc7ch Kf8 53 f6 Ra1! and he has given me a chance to recover) Kf7 53 Rc7ch Kf8 54 Kg6 1-0.

1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3 dxc3 4. Nf3 c2 5. Qxc2 Nc6 6. Bc4 e6 7. O-O a6 8. a4 Be7 9. Nc3 Nf6 10. e5 Ng4 11. Re1 Qc7 12. Bf4 d6 13. Qe4 dxe5 14. Nxe5 Ngxe5 15. Rac1 Bd6 16. Nb5 axb5 17. axb5 O-O 18. bxc6 Nxc6 19. Bxd6 Qxd6 20. Red1 Qe5 21. Qxe5 Nxe5 22. Bb5 b6 23. f4 Ng6 24. g3 Ba6 25. Bxa6 Rxa6 26. Rc7 Rfa8 27. Rb7 h6 28. Rdd7 Ra1+ 29. Kg2 h5 30. Rxf7 Nf8 31. Rxg7+ Kh8 32. Rg5 h4 33. Rh5+ Kg8 34. Rxh4 Rc1 35. Rxb6 Rc2+ 36. Kh3 Ra2 37. Kg4 Raxb2 38. Rxb2 Rxb2 39. h3 Kg7 40. Rh5 Ng6 41. Ra5 Rb4 42. h4 Rb3 43. h5 Nf8 44. Ra8 Rb4 45. h6+ Kg8??

This loses my Knight for a Pawn, leaving me in a Pawn-down ending (though one in which I have good drawing chances). Correct is 45...Kf7, and I remain up a Knight for 2 Pawns. No big advantage to that in this position, but at least I do have *some* material advantage.

46. h7+ Kxh7 47. Rxf8 e5

By forcing this exchange of Pawns, I am confident that I can achieve Philidor's Position and thereby draw.

48. Kg5 exf4 49. gxf4 Kg7 50. Rc8 Rb5+? 51. f5 Kf7?

Passive defense with 51...Rb7 is now necessary.

52. Rc7+ Kf8 53. Kg6 Rb1 54. Rc8+ Ke7 55. f6+ Kd7 56. Ra8 Rg1+ 57. Kf7

Thanks to my poor play, White has now achieved Lucena's Position.

Rg2 58. Ra4 Rg1 59. Rd4+ Kc6 60. Ke8 Re1+ 61. Kf8 Kc5 62. Rd2 Kc6 63. f7 Kc7 64. Rd4 Kc6 65. Kg7 Rg1+ 66. Kf6 Rf1+ 67. Kg6 Rg1+ 68. Kf5 Rf1+ 69. Rf4 {Black resigns} 1-0

White has flawlessly executed the Lucena winning technique, as developed more fully in the next section.

                        *****

And now we come to Lucena's Position.  In the first game, played as White against pawnfish on 11/12/97, he is actually blocking my Pawn after 46...Kg7, but through a series of checks I artfully get his King to vacate the file, all the while avoiding his mate threats against me, and I think I am correct in saying that after 50 fxg5ch I have forced the Lucena Position on him.  He nevertheless plays it out to the bitter end, the reason being that the increment is only one second.

1. e4 c5 2. d4 cxd4 3. c3 Nf6 4. e5 Nd5 5. cxd4 d6 6. exd6 Qxd6 7. Nf3 e6 8. Nc3 a6 9. Bc4 Nb6 10. Bb3 Be7 11. O-O Nc6 12. Re1 O-O 13. d5 exd5 14. Nxd5 Nxd5 15. Qxd5 Be6 16. Qxd6 Bxd6 17. Bxe6 fxe6 18. Rxe6 Bc5 19. Be3 Bxe3 20. Rxe3 Rae8 21. Rae1 Rxe3 22. Rxe3 Nb4 23. a3 Nd5 24. Re1 Rc8 25. Kf1 Nf4 26. g3 Nd3 27. Re2 Nc5 28. Kg2 Rf8 29. Ng5 h6 30. Ne4 Ne6 31. Nd6 Nd4 32. Re4 Nf5 33. Nxf5 Rxf5

Reaching the Rook and Pawn ending. Each side has 2 Q-side Pawns, and I am up 3 to 2 on the King-side.

34. Re7 Rb5 35. b4 a5 36. bxa5 Rxa5 37. Rxb7 Rxa3

And now the Q-side Pawns have been liquidated, so it is down to just the K-side Pawns. I believe this should be a book draw, so kudos to Black for simplifying by eliminating the Q-side Pawns.

38. h4 Kh7 39. Kh3 Kg6 40. f4 Kf6 41. Rb5 Rd3 42. Kg4 Rd6 43. Kh3 g6 44. Kg4 Re6 45. h5 gxh5+ 46. Kxh5 Kg7 47. g4 Re2 (threatening 48...Rh2#) 48. Rb7+ Kf6 49. g5+ (Not 49 Kxh3?? Rh2#) hxg5 50. fxg5+ Kf5 51. Rf7+ Ke6 52. g6 Rh2+ 53. Kg5 Rg2+ 54. Kh6 Rh2+ 55. Kg7 Rg2 56. Kh7 Rh2+ 57. Kg8 Rg2 58. g7 Ra2 59. Rf4 Ra8+ 60. Kh7 Ke5 61. Rf2 (or 61 Rf8) Ke6 62. g8=Q+ Rxg8 63. Kxg8 Ke5 64. Kg7 Ke4 65. Kg6 Ke3 66. Rf7 Ke4 67. Kg5 Ke5 68. Re7+ Kd6 69. Re1 Kd5 70. Kf4 Kd4 71. Rd1+ Kc3 72. Ke3 Kc2 73. Rd8 Kc3 74. Rc8+ Kb4 75. Kd3 Kb5 76. Kd4 Kb6 77. Rc1 Kb5 78. Rc2 Kb4 79. Rb2+ Ka5 80. Rb8 Ka6 81. Kc5 Ka7 82. Rb1 Ka8 83. Kc6 Ka7 84. Rb2 Ka8 85. Kc7 Ka7 86. Ra2# {Black checkmated}

                                   *****

In the next game, played as White against Flashblack on 9/127/00, he blunders badly with 50...Kb7??, allowing my Pawn to advance to the 5th rank, with a winning Lucena Position.  Instead, he can play 50...Rf8, preventing the immediate advance of the pawn.

There actually is a way for White to *force* the advance of the Pawn, using a technique which I obviously did not remember or find during the game.  If you go back to White's 48th move, instead of 48 Kf5?, I can play 48 Kh6!, a maneuver available because the Pawn in a Bishop's Pawn and not a Knight's Pawn.  Play could continue 48...Rf8 49 Rf1!! (the key idea) Kc6 50 f5 Kd6 51 Re1 and his King is still cut off so it is now Lucena with a Pawn on the 5th, therefore easily won with the standard maneuver, which I flawlessly execute once he allows the push to the 5th rank. After this maneuver is completed he resigns, since the increment here is 4 seconds and not one second as in the last game.

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Bc4 d6 5. Nxd4 Nxd4 6. Qxd4 Nf6 7. Nc3 Be7 8. Bf4 O-O 9. O-O-O Bd7 10. Rhe1 a6 11. e5 dxe5 12. Bxe5 c5 13. Qd3 b5 14. Qd2? (14 Bxf6!) bxc4 15. Bxf6 Bxf6 16. Qxd7 Qxd7 17. Rxd7 Bxc3 18. bxc3 h6 19. Rc7 Rfc8 20. Ree7 Rxc7 21. Rxc7 Kf8 22. Rxc5 Re8 23. Rxc4 Re2 24. Rf4 g5 25. Rf3 Kg7 26. Kd1 Re6 27. Kd2 Kg6 28. c4 f5 29. c5 Re5 30. Rc3 Rd5+ 31. Ke3 Kf6 32. c6 Rd8 33. c7 Rc8 34. Kd4 Ke6 35. Rc6+ Kd7 36. Rxh6 Kxc7 37. Rxa6 Kb7 38. Ra5 Rxc2 39. Rxf5 Rxa2 40. f3? (40 h3) Rxg2 41. Ke4 Rxh2 42. Rxg5

Kind of silly to let him go from three Pawns down to only one Pawn down, but I suppose I was relying on getting a winning Lucena Postiion at the end of the exchanges.

Rh4+ 43. f4 Rh8 44. Rc5

Cutting off his King by three files.

Kb6 45. Rc1 Re8+ 46. Kf5 Rf8+ 47. Kg5 Rg8+ 48. Kf5?

There is a special maneuver available here to force the advance of the Pawn to the 5th rank, a maneuver which I obviously did not remember during the game. I should play 48 Kh6! Rf8 49 Rf1! (the key idea) Kc6 50 f5 Kd6 51 Re1, so it is still the Lucena Position with my Pawn now on the 5th rank, so an easy win.

Rf8+ 49. Ke4 Re8+ 50. Kf3 Kb7??

This allows me to advance my Pawn unimpeded, giving me tyhe winning Lucena Position. He should play 50...Rf8 to hold my feet to the fire to find the winning maneuver. The win is straightforward now.

51. f5 Rf8 52. Kf4 Rg8 53. f6 Rg2 54. Kf5 Rf2+ 55. Kg6 Rg2+ 56. Kf7 Rf2 57. Kg7 Rg2+ 58. Kf8 Rf2 59. f7 Rf3 60. Rc4 Kb6 61. Ke7 Re3+ 62. Kf6 Rf3+ 63. Ke6 Re3+ 64. Kf5 Rf3+ 65. Rf4 {Black resigns} 1-0

                           *****

And finally we come to the special case of the Rook Pawn.  As White against kwiteaman, played on 3/15/97, the pertinent principles are well-illustrated.  We reach the Rook and Pawn vs. Rook ending after 54...Kxb7.  If I now play 55 Rc5, I cut his King off by 5(!) files, but I cannot win since my Pawn is still on the 2nd rank.  His Rook simply checks my King which will be unable to support the Pawn's advance.  So, I push the Pawn up 2, and after 55 h4 Kc7 56 Rd5, I have his King cut off by 4 files but the rule is that my Pawn needs to be on the 5th to be able to win this, not on the 4th as in the game.  Black repeatedly opposes Rooks, allowing his King to inch closer as my Pawn advances, illustrating Black's drawing resources.  Unfortunately for Black, before hitting on the drawing method he loses a vital tempo with 56...Kc6?.  Later his 62...Kf6? loses immediately, but computer analysis shows that even the correct 62...Rh7 will lose against accurate play by White.

1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Be7 5. e3 b6 6. Nf3 Bb7 7. cxd5 Nxd5 8. Bxe7 Qxe7 9. Nxd5 Bxd5 10. Bd3 Qb4+ 11. Qd2 Qxd2+ 12. Nxd2 O-O 13. O-O Nd7 14. Rfc1 c5 15. Bb5 Rfd8 16. Bxd7 Rxd7 17. dxc5 bxc5 18. Rxc5 Bxg2 19. Kxg2 Rxd2 20. Rac1 g6 21. R1c2 Rxc2 22. Rxc2 Rb8 23. b3 Rb7 24. Kf3 Kg7 25. Ke4 Kf6 26. Rc5 Rb4+ 27. Rc4 Rb6 28. Ra4 a6 29. Rc4 Rb5 30. Kf3 Ra5 31. Rc2 Rf5+ 32. Kg3 h5 33. b4 g5 34. a4 g4 35. Rb2 Kg5 36. b5 axb5 37. axb5 Rc5 38. b6 Rc8 39. b7 Rb8 40. Rb5+ f5 41. e4 h4+ 42. Kg2 Kf4 43. exf5 exf5 44. Rb4+ Kg5 45. f3 gxf3+ 46. Kxf3 f4? 47. Rb5+ Kf6 48. Kxf4 Ke7 49. Kg4 Kd7 50. Kxh4 Kc7 51. Kg5 Rg8+ 52. Kf4 Rf8+ 53. Rf5? (Kg5) Rh8 54. Kg3? (Rb5) Kxb7 55. h4 Kc7 56. Rd5 Kc6? (Rd8=) 57. Rd1 Rh7 58. Kg4 Rd7 59. Re1 Kd6 60. h5 Re7 61. Rh1 Ke6 62. h6 Kf6?

62...Rh7 63 Kg5 Kf7 64 Ra1! Rh8 (Black was in zugzwang) 65 Ra7ch Ke6 66 h7 followed by Kg6-g7 winning easily.

63. h7 {Black resigns} 1-0

In the next game, played as Black against VECTOR on 2/22/01, I get the classical position of Rook + Rook Pawn vs. Rook, where  my King is on R8 and has to be extricated.  I correctly play 65...Rd5ch!, cutting his King off by the required 4 files, but unfortunately I later go horribly astray with the atrocious 74...Rf2ch??, instead of the correct 74...Rf1 75 Ke2 Rg1 winning.

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Qxd4 a6 5. Be3 Nc6 6. Qd2 g6 7. Nc3 Bg7 8. Bc4 Nf6 9. O-O-O Bg4 10. h3 Bxf3 11. gxf3 Rc8 12. Bb3 O-O 13. Kb1 Ne5 14. f4 Nc4 15. Bxc4 Rxc4 16. f3 Qc7 17. Bd4 Rc8 18. b3 Rxd4 19. Qxd4 Qxc3 20. Qxc3 Rxc3 21. e5 Nh5 22. exd6 exd6 23. Rxd6 Rxf3 24. Rd8+ Bf8 25. Rb8 Nxf4 26. Rd1 Kg7 27. Rxb7 Rxh3 28. Rdd7 Ba3 29. Rxf7+ Kg8 30. Rg7+ Kh8 31. c4 Ne6 32. Rgd7 Kg8 33. Kc2 g5 34. Rb6 Re3 35. Rxa6 Bf8 36. b4 g4 37. Kd2 Re5 38. c5 g3 39. Rd3 Rg5 40. Rxe6 g2 41. Re1 g1=Q 42. Rxg1 Rxg1 43. Rd8 Rg2+ 44. Kc3 Rxa2 45. b5 Kg7 46. Kb3 Ra1 47. Rd7+ Kg6 48. c6 Rb1+ 49. Kc4 Rb4+ 50. Kd3 Rxb5 51. c7 Rc5 52. Rd8 Rxc7 53. Rxf8

We have reached the interesting ending of Rook and h-Pawn vs. Rook. I proceed to cut off his King from my Pawn by three files with my next move.

Re7 54. Rg8+ Kf5 55. Rf8+ Kg4 56. Rg8+ Kh4 57. Rg1?

The Rook belongs behind the passed Pawn, not in front of it. Since the weak-side King belongs on the 2nd rank in this ending, his best is 57 Kd2, after which my rook will require 3 moves to get to the key g1 square, and his King will then have time to get close enough to secure the draw.

h5 58. Kd2 Kh3 59. Rh1+ Kg4 60. Rg1+ Kf3 61. Rh1

Here again, 61 Rg8 is more to the point.

Re5 62. Rh4 Kg3 63. Rh1 h4 64. Rg1+ Kf2!

Now that I have opposed Kings, I can check his King to where it is cut off by 4 files, giving me a winning position. Had he put his Rook on the 8th file as he should have, he could now check me and prevent me from effectively opposing Kings like this.

65. Rh1 Rd5+! 66. Kc3 Kg3 67. Rg1+ Kh2 68. Rg4?

Even though I have a won game, hs should still make it as challenging for me as he can. Correct is 68 Rg8.

h3 69. Kc4 Rd8 70. Kc3 Kh1 71. Kc2 h2 72. Kc1 Rd7 73. Kc2 Rf7 74. Kd2 Rf2+??

A complete brain freeze on my part. Simply 74...Rf1 followed by 75...Rg1, and my King then escapes.

75. Ke3 Rg2 76. Ra4 Rg1 77. Ra2 Rg3+ 78. Kf4 Rg2 79. Ra1+ Rg1 80. Ra2 Rf1+ 81. Kg3 Rg1+ 82. Kf3 Rb1 83. Rc2 Kg1 84. Rg2+ Kh1 85. Rc2 Rf1+ 86. Kg3 Rg1+ 87. Kf3 Rf1+ 88. Kg3 {Game drawn by mutual agreement} 1/2-1/2