Chess lessons › Chess endgames
Rook and a-pawn against rook
With the rook in front of an a-pawn, checks keep the king off b7; it wins only against a far-off king.
The idea
Check the king from below to keep it off b7.
- White’s rook on a8 is stuck in front of the pawn on a7.
- The king on b6 wants b7, to guard the pawn and free the rook.
- Rb2+ checks from below and drives the king off.
In a game: With rook and a-pawn against rook, watch b7: check the king from below when it comes near.
How the lesson begins
The pawn is on a7 now, with White’s rook in front of it on a8 and Black’s rook behind it on a2. The pawn is attacked once and guarded once. White’s rook has no good square: its own pawn blocks the a-file, and if it leaves along the eighth rank, Black takes the pawn.
So White’s king must reach b7, where it would guard the pawn and free the rook. Black’s king waits on g7. It is a draw.
Find the move
White’s king has reached b6, one step from b7. Black to move: only one move draws. Find it.
A hint
Check the king along the file it is standing on.
Show the answer
1... Rb2+
Rb2+. The rook checks from below, along the b-file, before the king gets to b7. Every other move loses.
In numbers
Positions to practise
64 positions in the study, every result proved by the tablebase: 30 are wins, 29 draws and 5 losses for the side to move, with best play on both sides.