Short side, long side: the rook endgame defence

When your king can't get in front of the pawn in a rook and pawn ending, you can still draw if your pieces are on the right sides. The pawn splits the board into a short side and a long side. King to the short side, rook to the long side, and the rook checks from far away, where the king can't get near it.

The defence, played out

You have Black. White's e-pawn has the king beside it; your king is on g8, the short side, and your rook is on the a-file, the long side.

Black to move. Step through the defence.

Check from the long side

1...Ra6+! Check from the side, from far away. Rook moves that wait instead, like 1...Ra1?, let White's king step to f6 and win.

King on the short side

2...Kg7! The only holding move. Your king stays on the short side, out of the way of your rook's checks.

Keep checking from a distance

3...Ra1, back to the far end of the board, ready to check again. Then 4...Ra7+: a rook checking from far away can't be attacked by the king. White blocks with the rook in the end (8.Rc6, 10.Rc7), and 10...Ra8 keeps watch: White can't escape the checks without giving up the pawn. A draw.

The idea to remember

Find the short side and the long side of the pawn. Put your king on the short side and your rook on the long side, and check from as far away as you can.

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. More rook endings: the Philidor position and the Lucena position. 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.

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