How to win with queen against rook: the Philidor position
Learn to win a rook with your queen: break the third-rank defence, set up the Philidor position with Black to move, and win the rook with a fork as soon as it leaves its king.
Break the third-rank defence
The rook on b6 guards its king from the third rank and keeps your king out. First push the rook back next to its king.
Play Qf4: the queen takes the 4th rank and the diagonal to b8. Now any rook move loses the rook within three moves, so Black moves the king. Qf4 Kd7
1… Kd7 Kd7.
Play Qa4+: a check from the side. Qa4+ Kc7
2… Kc7 Kc7.
Play Qa7+: the best defence is to block with the rook on b7. Qa7+ Rb7
3… Rb7 Rb7: the rook stands next to its king.
Play Qc5+: the rook on b7 attacks your queen, so move it away with check. Qc5+ Kb8
4… Kb8 Kb8.
Play Kd6: your king comes closer. Kd6
The rook is back next to its king, and your king is close. Next: the Philidor position.
Into the Philidor position
Black moved the rook to f7. Your king wants c6, but not while your queen stands behind it on the c-file.
Play Qd4: the queen steps off the c-file onto the long diagonal. Qd4 Ka8
1… Ka8 Ka8.
Play Kc6: now your king takes its place. Kc6 Rb7
2… Rb7 Rb7: the rook goes back next to its king.
Play Qh8+: the king steps out of the corner. Qh8+ Ka7
3… Ka7 Ka7.
Play Qd8: this is the Philidor position, seen from the side, with Black to move. Qd8
Black is to move, and every move loses the rook within five moves: the king can't leave the rook, and the rook can't leave the king.
Give the move away
The Philidor position, but with you to move. With Black to move it would be over, so give the move away.
Play Qe5+: a check along the diagonal to b8. Qe5+ Ka8
1… Ka8 Ka8.
Play Qa1+: a check on the a-file. Qa1+ Kb8
2… Kb8 Kb8.
Play Qa5: the position from the start, but now Black is to move. Qa5
Three queen moves made a triangle and gave the move away. Now the rook has to leave its king.
The rook leaves along the rank
From the Philidor position the rook went along the 7th rank, to h7. Hunt it with checks.
Play Qe5+: a check along the diagonal to b8. Qe5+ Ka7
1… Ka7 Ka7.
Play Qa1+: the king has only b8. Qa1+ Kb8
2… Kb8 Kb8.
Play Qb1+: a check on the b-file, and from b1 the queen also hits the rook on h7. A fork! Qb1+ Ka7
3… Ka7 Ka7.
Play Qxh7+: the rook is won. Qxh7+
A check that hit the rook at the same time: away from its king, the rook was lost.
The rook leaves along the file
Here the rook went down the b-file, to b1. It is far from its king, and that is all the queen needs.
Play Qd8+: the king has only a7. Qd8+ Ka7
1… Ka7 Ka7.
Play Qd4+: a check along the diagonal to a7. Qd4+ Ka8
2… Ka8 Ka8.
Play Qh8+: back to the 8th rank. Qh8+ Ka7
3… Ka7 Ka7.
Play Qh7+: a check on the 7th rank, and from h7 the queen also hits the rook on b1. A fork! Qh7+ Ka6
4… Ka6 Ka6.
Play Qxb1: the rook is won. Qxb1
Queen and king against a lone king, and the rest is the queen checkmate. Against the queen, the rook is lost as soon as it leaves its king: from the Philidor position, that is what you play for.
Key ideas
- The rook holds out only next to its own king. Away from it, the queen wins it with a fork: a check that hits the rook at the same time.
- The Philidor position: with Black to move, every move loses the rook within five moves.
- With you to move in the Philidor position, give the move away with three queen moves: Qe5+, Qa1+ and back to Qa5.
- Watch the rook's tricks: a check that skewers your king and queen on one line, or a check next to its own king that your queen can't answer.
Common mistakes
- Putting your king and queen on one line the rook can check along: the rook takes the queen behind the king.
- Taking a guarded rook with the queen: the king takes back, and only the kings are left.