2 pawn up Rook endgame

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Avatar of SwimmerBill
rg8check wrote:

This is a much more difficult position to win than it first appears. I haven't found a clear idea that results with a win yet. Stockfish's idea is to place the rook on a8, bring the pawn up to a7, and eventually trade off the pawn on a7 for one or both of black's pawns.

 

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What I'd try is: bring a pawn to a7

make a passed f pawn, push it to deflect black king from g7&h7 then Rh8 wins.

Bill

ps-- I now see others have said this several times!

Avatar of SwimmerBill
rg8check wrote:

.....

About a similar position, shown below, Reuben Fine says, "White has winning chances in positions analogous to [Diagram shown below] in two cases: when the Black pawns are too far advanced or too widely scattered and are thus subject to capture, or when (usually with pawns other than a rook pawn) White can afford to give up one pawn on the kingside, blockade the remaining pawns, and win his opponent's rook.

Once his pawn is on the seventh, White must be two pawns ahead to win, and the other pawn must be able to lure the black king out of its corner, which is why it must not be a rook pawn or a knight pawn. "

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I'm analyzing a similar position where the black pawns are on the g&f files. It's an interesting difference as making a passed h pawn doesnt work.

- Bill