In

this
lesso
n
we're
lookin
g at
ROOK
ENDI
NGS.
Rook
endin
gs
occur
more
often
than
any
other
sort
of
endin
g.
There
's a
lot
you
need
to
know
about
them,
so, if
you'r
e
ready
, step
inside
.

The first thing you need

to know is that QUEEN
AGAINST ROOK is a win but it's often very hard to
prove it.
Here's a typical example,
with Black to move.
Wherever he moves his
Rook, White will be able
to play a series of checks
ending up with a QUEEN
FORK.
For example:
1...Rb7-b1
2.Qa5-d8+ Kb8-a7
3.Qd8-d4+ Ka7-a8
4.Qd4-h8+ Ka8-a7
5.Qh8-h7+

Now, a quick look at what

happens with Rook
against Pawn.
Sometimes the Rook can
stop the Pawn and win,
sometimes it's a draw.
It all depends where the
Kings are and how far
advanced the pawn is.
These positions are not
always easy to play they need a bit of
thought and a bit of
calculation to get them
right.

Take this position, for instance.

Although the White King is
stuck in the corner he can still
win by cutting off the enemy
King. Given that clue, can you
find the winning move?

Yes, White can cut off the

Black King with Rg8-g5.
Now if Black pushes his
pawn - c4-c3 - Black
continues with Rg5-g3
and Rg3-c3, winning the
Pawn.
The idea of using the
Rook to cut off the enemy
King is very important in
King and Rook endings.
Many players make the
mistake of using their
Rook to CHECK the
enemy King - which just
drives him up the board
where he wants to go.

Next IMPORTANT FACT

ABOUT ROOKS AND
PAWNS:
In the absence of Kings,
two connected pawns on
the 6th rank will beat a
Rook.
Take this position, for
example.
If it's Black's move he
can win by pushing either
pawn - the best White
can hope for is a position
with Rook against Queen.
Check this out for
yourself before moving
on.

So in this position, if it's Black's

move he wins.
But if it's White's move he can
win. Can you see how he does
it?

RR

Yes, the only move to win

is Ra6-g6.
(Ra6-a7+ would only
draw - it would bring the
Black King one square
nearer the pawns remember what I said
about useless rook
checks.)
All other moves lose.
Notice how the White
Rook stops BOTH Black
Pawns from advancing.

So Black has nothing better

than to move his King to d7,
reaching this position.
Again, White must act quickly,
before the Black King gets near
enough for him to draw. How
can he win a pawn here?

Here's the position after

the winning move: Rg6g4.
White will now win a
pawn and the game.
For example, if Black
plays g3-g2 we continue
Rg4xg2 Kd7-e6 Rg2-g5,
CUTTING OFF THE KING.

We're now going to move onto

the most important part of the
lesson.
We're going to consider some
positions with ROOK AND PAWN
AGAINST ROOK.
If you have ROOK AND PAWN
against ROOK and you want to
win you should ask LUCY!!
And if you want to draw with
ROOK against ROOK AND PAWN
you have to consult PHIL!!

Having said that, what are you going

to play for White here?

Yes, the easiest way to

draw is to play Rb1-b3.
Again, notice the idea of
using your Rook to stop
your opponent's King
advancing.
Now the only way for
White to make progress
is to push his Pawn,
which leads to the next
question.

OK, it's White's move.

This time you've got a
choice. Which of these do
you prefer?
Rb4-b1

Rb4-b3

Rb4-b8

Kf1-g1

Rb3-b1 and Kf1-g1 are

both passive - Black can
win most easily by Ra2h2.
Rb3-b4+ is another
useless check - Black
plays Kg4-g3, forcing
White's Rook back to b1,
when again Ra2-h2 will
win. If White wants to
draw he must be able to
check Black from behind,
so, of your four choices,
Rb3-b8 is the only move
to draw.

So White plays Rb3-b8 and

Black moves his King up to
threaten mate - Kg4-g3.
What next for White?

Yes, the only move to

draw is Rb8-g8+ - this
time a useful check!
You see what's going to
happen, don't you?
White keeps on checking
Black from behind. If the
Black King every
approaches the Rook
White just moves the
Rook back to the f-file
and wins the f-pawn.

This example, the PHILIDOR

position, is REALLY IMPORTANT.
All serious chess players MUST
know it.
If you're defending the ending
with Rook against Rook and
Pawn this is what you try to do:
1. Move your King to the
QUEENING SQUARE.
2. Keep your Rook on your 3rd
RANK to keep the enemy King
out.
3. When your opponent's pawn
reaches its 6th RANK (your 3rd
RANK) move your Rook to the
back of the board.

4. Then, when his King moves to

his 6th RANK keep on CHECKING
from behind.

Another important word of

advice.
It's almost always correct to use
your Rook ACTIVELY in ROOK
AND PAWN ENDINGS.
Get your Rook up the board into
your opponent's position to
attack his Pawns and, if his King
advances up the board, to check
him from behind.

Well, we've seen how

PHIL can help us draw
when we've got Rook
against Rook and Pawn.
Now let's see how LUCY
can help us win with Rook
and Pawn against Rook.
This is known
(mistakenly) as the
LUCENA POSITION.
(Someone called Lucena
wrote a chess book in
1497 which didn't include
this position. It first
appeared in a book
written by Salvio in 1643.
So it should really be
called the Salvio position
- and you should consult
Sal rather than Lucy!)

You will see that this time

White has moved his King
to the Queening square.
There are several ways to
win this position, but the
one discovered by Salvio
is the easiest and best
one to learn.
It's also called BUILDING
A BRIDGE - you'll see
why in a minute.
White needs to bring his
King out again while
finding a way to shelter
from the Black Rook's
checks.

At the moment the Black King is

too close - we need to drive him
away.
How do we do this?

Correct! White plays Re1d1+ (a useful check

because it drives Black
further away from the
pawn) and let's say Black
goes Kd7-c7 (Kd7-e6
allows Kf8-e8 when Black
has no good checks).
This is where we BUILD A
BRIDGE.
We need to find a move
which will enable the
Rook to block a check
while the White King still
defends the Pawn, and,
at the same time is far
enough away from the
Black King.
To do this we are going to
move the Rook to the 4th
RANK. DON'T FORGET!

So tell me, what is White's next

move here?

Fine! White plays Rd1-d4 and

Black plays a WAITING MOVE:
Rg2-g1.
It's now time for your King to
emerge and find shelter from
the Black checks. Go ahead and
play the move.

Yes, the King emerges via

e7. Now White's
threatening to Queen so
Black has to check.
You might like to play
these moves out on your
board.
...Rg1-e1+
Ke7-f6 Re1-f1+
Kf6-e6 Rf1-e1+
Ke6-f5 Re1-f1+

Here's the position. How are

you going to get out of check
this time?

Now you see the idea,

don't you?
The Rook helps the White
King avoid the checks.
There's now no way Black
can prevent White getting
a Queen.
Again, this position is
VERY IMPORTANT. Make
sure you KNOW,
REMEMBER and
UNDERSTAND it.

The PHILIDOR and LUCENA

positions are the basis of
understanding most endings
with Rook and Pawn against
Rook.
You will see from these positions
that the player who gets his King
to the Queening square usually
gets the result he wants.
There's one other position with
King and Rook against King
which is well worth learning off
by heart.
Let's have a look.

In this position it's

BLACK's move - which of
these moves is best?
Kg7-f7

Kg8-f6

Kg7-g6

Kg7-h7

In this position Black can

draw by playing Kg7-h7
(or by moving his Rook
up the a-file).
If he plays his King to f6
or g6 (or h6) White can
win by checking with his
Rook, then queening his
pawn.
But do you see what's
wrong with moving the
King to f7?

Here's the position after the

Black King moves to f7.
Select your move for White.

The winning move is Ra8h8.

You see why, don't you?
If Black takes the pawn
White wins the Black
Rook with a SKEWER Rh8-h7+.
To draw this sort of
position Black has to
keep his King on either
g7 or h7 - nowhere else
will do.
Another piece of essential
endgame knowledge for
you!

Bearing that in mind, what

should White play here?
Be careful!!

Don't think I've gone mad when

I tell you the answer is Rb8xb2!
Yes, White is walking straight
into a SKEWER - but there is
method in his madness. What
should he play now?

Yes, White should play

Ke2-f3, reaching this
position.
Now if Black takes the
White Rook, guess what,
it's STALEMATE!!
And if, for instance, Black
plays Rh2-h4 to defend
his Pawn, one way for
White to draw is to offer
the Rook again - Rb2-h2.
Just a little joke to finish
with - but these things
really do happen. This
came from a game in a
Grandmaster tournament
played back in 1946.

A few words of advice about

endings with more pawns:
1. With TWO extra pawns you
should expect to win. There are
two exceptions, though. Many
positions with f- and h-pawns, or
a- and c-pawns are drawn.
Some positions with a- and hpawns are drawn.
2. In Rook endings, 3 pawns
against 2 on the same side is
usually drawn. 4 pawns against
3 on the same side is often
drawn. You will have more
winning chances with an extra
pawn if you keep pawns on
BOTH sides of the board.
3. Keep your Rook active - using
it from behind to attack enemy
pawns. An active Rook is usually
worth a pawn in Rook endings.

4. Use your Rook to keep the

enemy King out of play - don't
check him to force him up the
board.
5. If you have a PASSED PAWN
the best place for your Rook is
usually BEHIND it. If your
opponent has a PASSED PAWN
again the best place is BEHIND
it. REMEMBER: ROOKS BELONG
BEHIND PASSED PAWNS
(RBBPP!). 6. BEFORE you
exchange off into a ROOK
ENDING you must ASSESS the
position - work out whether you
think you are winning, drawing
or losing.
7. Likewise, if you are in a Rook
ending and you have the chance
to offer or make a Rook
exchange, you must CALCULATE
what's happening in the KING
AND PAWN ending BEFORE you
decide whether or not to
exchange Rooks.

Congratulations!!
You have now completed the
ROOK ENDINGS assignment.