Do or Die with Rook Endings

Do or Die with Rook Endings

CHESScom Chess.com Team
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Don't blow a winning rook ending again!

Rook endings are the most common in all of chess. Therefore you need to know the basic positions and some strategic principles when the play becomes more difficult. I want to have you learn and practice the former, and give you a feel for the latter. Start improving your rook and pawn endgame play today!

Here is what you will learn:

  • Learn the essential rook endings that all experienced chess players should know!
  • Learn how to convert extra material into a win!
  • Learn how to best activate your rooks!
The Basic Position with Black's King on the Last Rank

The Basic Position with Black's King on the Last Rank

We'll start out with the most fundamental rook-and-pawn endings that involve rook-and-pawn versus rook. They are probably more useful to master than any other rook endings. In this lesson we look at a basic starting position.
6 Challenges
Philidor Position

Philidor Position

The Philidor Position is the most basic of all defensive postures in rook-and-pawn endings, and the easiest to remember. I've twice seen promising young players rated above 2200 USCF lose games because they didn't know this defense. It's so simple that you can play it perfectly in Blitz, using almost no time on your clock.
4 Challenges
The Short Side

The Short Side

There's one more basic technique to know for the defender: checking from a distance. This relates to the concept of the king escaping to the 'short side'. It succeeds in securing a draw when the Philidor position isn't available. If you memorize the idea, you will even be able to play the right moves in time trouble.
6 Challenges
Practice Makes Perfect!

Practice Makes Perfect!

Let's practice the techniques of the previous lessons.
8 Challenges
The Passive Defence

The Passive Defence

You may be wondering what happens if Black just hangs around on the first rank. This is called the "passive defence", and like most passive setups in chess, it is a last resort.
4 Challenges
An Exceptional Case

An Exceptional Case

When the extra pawn is a knight pawn, the situation is exceptional in two respects. This lesson illustrates the first one.
8 Challenges
The Knight Pawn Exception, Part 2

The Knight Pawn Exception, Part 2

We just saw that the normal rook move behind the pawn doesn't work when White has a passed pawn. How else can Black try to draw?
4 Challenges
Lucena's All-Important Position

Lucena's All-Important Position

Very often the stronger side can cut the king of the weaker side off by one or more files. In the example in this lesson, White wins by a concrete method that MUST be memorized. As early as 1497, the Spaniard Lucena demonstrated this method. Along with the Philidor defensive method from the first lessons, it is the most important of the rook-and-pawn endings, since it arises so often. Getting to the Lucena Position is the goal of the side with the extra pawn, and must be avoided by his opponent.
7 Challenges
Practice with the Lucena Position

Practice with the Lucena Position

Let's get a little practice with the Lucena Position method that you learned in the last lesson.
5 Challenges
Defense From A Distance

Defense From A Distance

If the stars are aligned and White's pawn hasn't advanced very far, then you can sometimes still draw even if your king is cut off by a file.
11 Challenges
Where do Rooks Go?

Where do Rooks Go?

Now we move to a situation of rook-versus-pawn. This doesn't happen as often as rook-and-pawn versus rook, but it's important to know when you're winning, losing or drawing such endings before you get them on the board.
7 Challenges
Another Way to Stop a Pawn

Another Way to Stop a Pawn

Sometimes you can't get behind the pawn in time, but there's another way.
2 Challenges
Escorting a Pawn to the Ball

Escorting a Pawn to the Ball

When you want to queen your pawn, sometimes you have to be rude to the other pieces!
3 Challenges
Practice the Shoulder Technique

Practice the Shoulder Technique

Let's get some practice with the shoulder technique we just learned. This one's pretty tricky!
10 Challenges
Another Shoulder Problem

Another Shoulder Problem

Here's another look at the shouldering idea. The solution looks a little different this time.
6 Challenges
Extra Pawns

Extra Pawns

Let's put another pawn on the board and see how that changes things. Shouldering and opposition will be important here, too.
10 Challenges
Rook vs Connected Passed Pawns

Rook vs Connected Passed Pawns

Now let's look at the rook versus connected passed pawns. They are easy to get used to, with a couple of simple things to remember.
4 Challenges
Connected Pawns Continued

Connected Pawns Continued

More connected pawns, and the 6th rank rule is still the most important. But it's not easy by a long shot.
11 Challenges
A Little Calculation Never Hurt

A Little Calculation Never Hurt

Here's another connected pawns example. This time it's with a knight pawn and rook pawn, which changes a few things.
5 Challenges
A Study by Reti

A Study by Reti

We finish with a study by the great Richard Reti. It illustrates several basic endgame techniques.
7 Challenges

Lessons

Do or Die with Rook Endings

Endgames
20 Lessons
No Videos
128 Challenges
Released May 2, 2008
10,256 Students

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