Rook vs bishop endgame: run to the right corner

With only a bishop against a rook, the defender can usually draw, but only in the right place. Take your king to a corner of the opposite colour to your bishop. There the bishop can block the checks right next to your king; in the other corners, the mates come.

The defence, played out

You have Black, with a light-squared bishop. White's rook and king are coming.

Black to move. Step through the defence.

Towards the safe corner

1...Kg8! Towards h8. Your bishop moves on light squares and h8 is dark: that's the safe corner. 1...Ke8 also holds. Bishop moves here lose at once: 1...Ba2? Rd8 is mate.

Into the corner

3...Kh8. Into the corner. Don't put the bishop where the king can take it: 3...Bf7? Kxf7.

Block next to the king

4...Bg8! The bishop blocks the back rank right next to your king, and White can't get through. Ba2 and Bb3, keeping watch on g8 from far away, also hold. Most other bishop moves lose: 4...Ba6? Rd8 is mate.

The idea to remember

With a bishop against a rook, run to the corner of the opposite colour to your bishop, so the bishop can cover the square next to your king.

Train it

This is one of the endgame techniques OptiChess teaches as a walkthrough: the moves play themselves until a moment that matters, then you find the move, checked against the tablebase. The knight's version is rook against knight. More endings are in the chess endgame trainer.

Try it. Real positions, set at your level, every answer checked against the board. No account needed to start.

Start training