Rook pawn endings??

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Avatar of Chess_Clarinet

I was wondering whether any plain lone king and lone rook pawn ending is a draw if the defending side can get to the critical square? (I am not quite sure what is the critical square. I think it is the square horizontally next to the pawn's promotion square (b1 for black queen-rook pawn, g1 for black king-rook pawn, b8 for white queen-rook pawn, g8 for white king-rook pawn) What if the side with the rook pawn has the opposition?

Avatar of Scottrf

Yes. It's a draw if the defending king can get to the promotion square i.e. a1/a8 and h1/h8.

Opposition etc is irrelevant, it's just if the defender can reach this square. You will get to a point that you can move the pawn without stalemate, and the defender can just move for example h8-g8-h8.

Avatar of Markleadon

Should a pawn with rook, be able to promote against a rook alone. If so are there key strategies needed to do this

Avatar of Scottrf
Markleadon wrote:

Should a pawn with rook, be able to promote against a rook alone. If so are there key strategies needed to do this

Depends on the position of the pieces.

There's a lot of theory, the Lucena position is perhaps the most important.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rook_and_pawn_versus_rook_endgame

Avatar of Markleadon

Thanks.... I'm trying to win it!!