How to win with a rook against a pawn
Learn to beat a pawn with a rook: cut the king off along a rank, bring your king in on the diagonal, and check first when the king guards the queening square.
Cut the king off along a rank
The black king stands behind its pawn, and your king is far away. One rook move wins: every other one lets the king join its pawn.
Play Rb5: the rook cuts the king off along the 5th rank. It can't cross to help its pawn. Rb5 Kc6
1… Kc6 Kc6 attacks the rook.
Play Rh5: stay on the 5th rank, out of the king's reach. Rh5 Kd6
2… Kd6 Kd6. The pawn can't run on its own: d3 would let the rook catch it.
Play Kg7: now your king walks to the pawn. Kg7 Ke6
3… Ke6 Ke6: the king tries to block your king.
Play Kg6: closer still. Kg6 Kd6
4… Kd6 Kd6.
Play Kf6: the rook still holds the 5th rank. Kf6 Kc6
5… Kc6 Kc6.
Play Ke6: your king now guards d5. Ke6 Kc7
6… Kc7 Kc7.
Play Rd5: the rook gets behind the pawn, and your king guards it. Rd5 Kc6
7… Kc6 Kc6 attacks the rook, but your king defends it.
Play Rxd4: the pawn is won. Rxd4
The cut along the rank kept the king away, so its pawn stood alone until your king arrived.
The diagonal approach
The rook already keeps the black king off the 4th rank. Now your king has to get to the pawn, and only one route is fast enough.
Play Kg5: on the diagonal your king gets closer to the pawn and to the squares in front of it at the same time. Kg5 Kd5
1… Kd5 Kd5: the king follows its pawn.
Play Kf5: your king keeps the black king off the e-file. Kf5 d2
2… d2 d2: the pawn runs.
Play Rf1: the rook watches the queening square d1 from the side. Rf1 Kd4
3… Kd4 Kd4: with the rook gone from the 4th rank, the king steps down.
Play Kf4: shoulder to shoulder, your king keeps it off the e-file again. Kf4 Kd3
4… Kd3 Kd3.
Play Kf3: and once more. Kf3 Kc2
5… Kc2 Kc2 defends the pawn.
Play Ke2: your king reaches the pawn. Ke2 Kc3
6… Kc3 Kc3.
Play Rd1: now the pawn is attacked twice, and Black has to move. Rd1 Kc2
7… Kc2 Kc2: every move leaves the pawn to you.
Play Rxd2+: your king guards the rook, so the pawn is won. Rxd2+
The diagonal brought your king in time, and side by side with the black king it kept it away from the squares in front of its pawn.
Check first, then behind the pawn
The black king on c2 guards the queening square d1, and your king is far away. Only a check wins.
Play Rc4+: the check drives the king off c2, from where it guards d1. Rc4+ Kb3
1… Kb3 Kb3 attacks the rook.
Play Rd4: the rook goes behind the pawn and attacks it. Rd4 Kc3
2… Kc3 Kc3 attacks the rook and defends the pawn.
Play Rd8: stay behind the pawn, out of the king's reach. Rd8 Kc2
3… Kc2 Kc2: the king guards d1 again.
Play Kf2: now your king comes. The rook behind the pawn holds it back. Kf2 Kd2
4… Kd2 Kd2: the black king stands in your king's way.
Play Kf3: around the black king. Kf3 Kc3
5… Kc3 Kc3.
Play Ke3: your king reaches the pawn. Ke3 Kc2
6… Kc2 Kc2: every move leaves the pawn to you.
Play Rxd3: your king guards the rook, so the pawn is won. Rxd3
The check pushed the king off the queening square, the rook took its place behind the pawn, and your king did the rest.
Key ideas
- The rook alone can't win a pawn that its king escorts. Your king has to come, and the rook buys it time.
- Cut the king off: a rook on the rank in front of the king keeps it away from its pawn.
- Bring your king in on the diagonal: it gets closer to the pawn and to the squares in front of it at the same time.
- Put the rook behind the pawn: from there it attacks the pawn and stays out of the king's reach.
- When the king guards the queening square, check it away first.
Common mistakes
- Attacking the pawn at once: the king defends it, and the cut is gone.
- Walking your king along a file or a rank instead of the diagonal: one move too slow, and it is a draw.
- Putting the rook in front of the pawn while the king is near: the king joins its pawn, and it is a draw.