How to win a rook ending with a rook's pawn on the 7th rank
Learn the winning ideas with a rook's pawn on a7 and your rook in front of it: a check that frees the pawn, the skewer Rh8, and the king walk when the enemy rook is stuck on a8.
Check first, then queen
The black king stands on f6, away from g7 and h7. Your rook can step aside with check, and the pawn queens.
Play Rf8+: the rook leaves a8 with check, so Black has no time to stop the pawn. Rf8+ Kg7
1… Kg7 Kg7 attacks the rook, but it is too late.
Play a8=Q: the pawn queens. If Rxa8, Rxa8. a8=Q
One check was enough: the king was one step away from g7, and the pawn queened.
The passive rook: walk in
Here the black rook stands in front of the pawn, on a8, and can only wait. Your king walks to the pawn, and it has to hurry: the black king heads for c7 too.
Play Kd3: on the diagonal your king gains a step. Kd3 Ke6
1… Ke6 Ke6: the black king races towards the pawn.
Play Kc4: on along the diagonal. Kc4 Kd6
2… Kd6 Kd6.
Play Kb5: one more step. Kb5 Kc7
3… Kc7 Kc7: the black king guards b7, the square your king is heading for.
Play Ka6: your king hides on a6, out of reach of the rook's checks. Black can only wait, and every move loses. Ka6 Re8
4… Re8 Re8: the rook leaves a8, ready to check from the side.
Play Rc1+: drive the black king away from b7. Rc1+ Kd6
5… Kd6 Kd6.
Play Kb7: now a8=Q is threatened. Kb7 Re7+
6… Re7+ Re7+: the checks from the side begin.
Play Kb8: the king steps back to the 8th rank. Kb8 Re8+
7… Re8+ Re8+.
Play Rc8: block the check. Your king guards the rook. Rc8 Rxc8+
8… Rxc8+ Rxc8+: Black trades the rooks.
Play Kxc8. Kxc8 Kc6
9… Kc6 Kc6.
Play a8=Q+: the pawn queens. a8=Q+
The rook in front of the pawn could only wait. Your king walked in on the diagonal, hid on a6 from the checks, and the rook blocked the last check on c8: the pawn queened.
The skewer: if Black takes
The black king stands on f7, one step from g7. That is enough for a trick: the skewer.
Play Rh8: now a8=Q is threatened, and the pawn is poisoned. Rh8 Rxa7
1… Rxa7 Rxa7? Black takes the pawn and walks into the trick.
Play Rh7+: the check hits the king, and the rook behind it on a7. Rh7+ Ke6
2… Ke6 Ke6: the king has to move.
Play Rxa7: the rook is won. Rxa7
That is the skewer: a check along the 7th rank that wins the rook behind the king. So Black can't take the pawn.
The skewer: checks instead
The same position. This time Black does not take the pawn, but checks your king.
Play Rh8: a8=Q is threatened, and Rxa7 loses the rook to Rh7+. Rh8 Rd1+
1… Rd1+ Rd1+: Black checks instead.
Play Kc3: walk towards the black rook to escape the checks. Kc3 Rc1+
2… Rc1+ Rc1+.
Play Kb2: your king attacks the rook, so the checks run out. Kb2 Rd1
3… Rd1 Rd1: Black keeps the rook. Rb1+ or Rc2+ would just give it away.
Play a8=Q: the pawn queens. You have a queen and a rook against a rook. a8=Q
With the king on f7 or e7, Rh8 wins: Rxa7 loses the rook to Rh7+, and the checks run out once your king comes close to the black rook. Only on g7 or h7 is the black king safe from the skewer.
Key ideas
- With your rook on a8, in front of the pawn, the pawn can only move once the rook steps aside.
- If the rook can step aside with check, the pawn queens at once.
- If the enemy king stands on f7 or e7, Rh8 wins: taking the pawn runs into the skewer Rh7+.
- With the enemy king on g7 or h7 and its rook behind the pawn, these tricks fail.
- When the enemy rook is stuck in front of the pawn, walk your king to b7 on the diagonal.
Common mistakes
- Walking the king first: the enemy king gets back to g7, and it is a draw.
- Rb8 instead of Rh8: after Rxa7, Rb7+ is met by Rxb7.
- Walking the king down a file instead of the diagonal: one move too slow, and it is a draw.