FIDE Surveys – Oleksandr Sulypa

1

Oleksandr Sulypa:
Rook endgames

In rook endgames often there are positions
with advanced passed pawns. Coordinated
action between rook and king in the
considered endgames is very often of a
crucial importance in the presence of passed
pawns. In most cases two connected passed
pawns cope with one pawn of the opponent.
Chances of draw appear in case this pawn is
far advanced. It is necessary to pay attention
that if white pawns have reached the 4th
horizontal (or black pawns - the 5th), then
the victory is almost guaranteed.

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1.f4 Kf8 2.e5 Kg8 3.e6 Kf8 4.Kf6+–.

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This position is exception of the rule: White
win though their pawn is on h3.

1.g5 Kg7 2.Kh5 Rh1 3.Ra7 Kf8
3...Kg8 4.Ra2 Rh3 5.Kg6
4.Ra2 Rh3 5.Kg6 Rg3 6.Ra8 Ke7 7.Rg8+–

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A theoretical won position, by the analogy of
position of Kling and Horwitz, with the
difference that the White's pieces are located
not on "e", but on "g" – file. In that position
there are 1...Rh3 (with the idea of the flank
attack) and a draw, but here because of lack
of space, Black has no equivalent move and
they lose. If in the starting position pawns
were on h3 and g4, then it is a draw, because
the pawn "g" will be lost. Also draw with the
white's pawns "f" and "g". In fact, if White
leaves the "g" pawn, the black rook at the
decisive moment manages to return along
the "f" line to his king on the f8 case. And
with the pawn "f" the black king retreats to
the right, and the rook achieves a draw with
the side attack. A similar is situation with the
central pawns. If in the starting position one
of the connected pawns is on the 2nd
horizontal, then White again wins, because
White advances with his king and second
pawn, and when the black rook attacks the
pawn on the 2nd horizontal, the white rook
will take the black pawn a2 while protecting
its pawn.

FIDE Surveys – Oleksandr Sulypa

2

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For the win White have to hold the king on
the 2nd horizontal and go forward the
pawns.
1.g4
Not enough is 1.Kh3, because of 1...b2
2.Kg4 and further White can move ahead
only at the price of exchange of pawns of "b"
and "g": 2...Kg7 3.h5 Kh7 4.Kg5 Rg1=.
1...b2 2.Rb6 Kg7 3.h5 Kh7 4.Kh2! Kg7
5.g5 Rc1 6.Rb2 Rc5 7.Rg2
Now there is clear idea of the move 4.Kh2!
7...Kh7 8.Kh3+–.

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With g and h pawns as we saw in the
previous example,White wins. Here is
absolutely different situation.
1.Rb6 Kf7
Or 1...Ke7 2.e5 Kf7 3.f5 Re1=.
2.e5 Ke7 3.f5 Re1! 1/2.

Let's consider practical examples!

Hoffmann : Van Delft, Germany 2010

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53...Rc4?
The classical method is inappropriate here.
53...Ra8! 54.f6 (54.Rc2 Rh8 55.Kg5 Ke5
56.Re2 (56.Rc3 Rg8=) 56...Kd4 57.f6 Rg8
58.Kf4 Rg6=) 54...Rh8 55.Kg6 Rg8 56.Kf5
Rg3=;
53...Ra5 54.Kg6 Ra4 (54...Ra8 55.Kf7 Ra7
(55...Rc8 56.Rc2 Ke5 57.g4 (57.f6 Kf5
(57...Rc6 58.Kg7) 58.Kg7) ) 56.Kf6) 55.Kf7
(55.Rc2 Ke5) 55...Rg4.
54.f6 Rc7
54...c2 55.f7 c1D 56.f8D+–.
55.Kg6?
55.g4 c2 56.f7 Rf7 57.Rc2 Rf8 58.g5 Rh8
59.Kg6 Rg8 60.Kf6 Rf8 61.Kg7+–.
55...c2 56.f7 Rf7! 57.Rc2 Rf8! 58.Rd2
58.Kg7 Rf5!
58...Ke6 59.Re2 Kd6 60.Kg7
60.g4 Rg8 61.Kf5 Rf8 62.Kg5 Rg8 63.Kf4
Rf8 64.Kg3 Rg8=.
60...Rf5!
The method of defence is an active rook with
limited space.
61.Kh6 Rf6 62.Kg7 Rf5! 63.Kg6 Rf8
64.Re3 Rg8?
A typical mistake. The king of the defending
side must be close to the rook of the
attacking side. Therefore 64...Kd5! It is
important to keep the king in the center:
65.Kg7 Rf1 66.Kg6 Rf8 67.g4 Rg8 68.Kf5

FIDE Surveys – Oleksandr Sulypa

3

Rf8 69.Kg5 Rg8 70.Kf4 Rf8 71.Kg3 Rg8=.
64...Rh8? also loses: 65.Kg7 Rh5 66.Ra3
Rg5 67.Kf6 Rg8 68.Rd3! (cutting the king)
68...Kc5 69.Ke6 Kc4 (69...Rg4 70.Kf5 Rg8
71.g4 Rf8 72.Ke6 Rg8 73.Rg3+–) 70.Ra3!
Kb4 71.Rf3 Kc5 72.Kf7 Rg4 73.Kf6 Kd5
74.Kf5 Rg8 75.Rd3 Kc4 76.Ra3! Kb4
77.Rf3 Rf8 78.Kg4 Rg8 79.Kh5 Kc5 80.g4
Rh8 81.Kg5 Rg8 82.Kf5 Rf8 83.Ke4 Rg8
84.Rf5 Kd6 85.g5 Ke7 86.Kf4 Rf8 87.g6+–.
65.Kf7! Rg4 66.Kf6 Rg8 67.Re6 Kd5
67...Kd7 68.Re7 Kd6 69.Rg7 Rf8.
68.Re5! Kd4
68...Kd6 69.Rg5 Rf8 70.Kg7 Rf1 71.g4 Rf4
72.Rg6 Ke5 73.Kh6 Rf8 74.Ra6 Rh8 75.Kg7
Rb8 76.g5 Kf5 77.g6+–.
69.Rg5! Rf8 70.Kg7 Rf3 71.Kh6 Ke4
72.Rg6?
72.Rg8 Rf6 73.Kg5 Rf5 74.Kh4 Rf7 75.g4
Kf4 76.Kh5 Rh7 77.Kg6 Ra7 78.g5+–.
72...Kf5?
72...Rf8! 73.g4 Kf4 74.g5 Rh8 75.Kg7 Ra8=
Here is bad rook on g6.
73.Kh5 Ra3 74.g4 Kf4 75.Rf6 Kg3 76.g5
Ra5 77.Rf1 Rb5 78.Kh6 Kh4 79.Rf4 Kg3
80.Ra4 Rb6 81.g6 Rc6 82.Kh7 1:0

Lasker : Tarrasch, Munich 1908

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Lasker coordinated the efforts of his rook
and king in order to capture Black's e-pawn.
1.g3 Re3
Black tries to exchange his e-pawn for
White's g-pawn, which would lead to a

draw. 1...Ra2 2.h4+–.
2.h4 Kh7
Or 2...e4 3.Kf4 Re1 4.Rg5 e3 5.Kf3 +-.
3.Rg5 Re1 4.g4 Kh6 5.Kf6 Kh7
The threat was 6.Rh5 mate.
6.Re5
White won the pawn.
6...Rf1 7.Kg5 Rf7 8.h5 Ra7 9.Rb5 Rg7
10.Kf4 Ra7 11.g5 Kg7 12.Kf5 Rf7 13.Kg4
Ra7 14.h6 Kg6 15.Rb6 Kh7 16.Kh5 Ra5
17.Rb7 Kg8 18.Re7 Rb5 19.Kg6 Rb6
20.Kf5 Rb5 21.Kf6 Rb8 22.g6 Ra8 23.Re5
Kh8 24.Kg5 Rg8 25.Rb5 Re8 26.h7 1;0.

Kholmov : Vasiukov, USSR 1972

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Time - the ability to perform a critical task in
fewer moves than the opponent needs to
prevent it or create counterplay - is the
dynamic aspect of strategy. In rook
endgames, even one extra tempo can be
extremely important, especially in situations
when both sides have passed pawns.White's
pawn is further advanced, and thus have the
advantage of extra tempi on its way to the
last rank. This advantage is decisive:
1.b7 Kf5
The alternative 6...Rb5 7.Rg8 leads to the
same position as in the game. If 1...Kg7
2.Rg8 Kg8 3.b8Q Kg7 4.Qc7+–
2.Ra8 Rb5 3.b8Q Rb8 4.Rb8 Kf4 5.Ke2
Kg3 6.Rf8 Kg2 7.Rf6 g4 8.Rg6 g3 9.Rg8
1:0.

FIDE Surveys – Oleksandr Sulypa

4

Portisch : Radovici, Ploesti 1957

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This type of positions are important in
practical play: all pawns are passed pawns,
but the stronger side has two connected
pawns. As a general rule, such positions
favor the connected pawns, and lead to a
victory in the great majority of cases. The
basic plan is to advance the connected pawns
as far as possible, sacrifice the rook for the
single pawn of the opponent at the last
minute, and make the connected pawns,
supported by the king, unstoppable. Here is a
good example of this kind of struggle.
1.Rh1 c2 2.Rc1 Rc4 3.Ke6! Rc3
It was much simpler 3...Kc7 4.Ke7 (4.f4 Kd8
5.f5 (5.Kf6 Ke8 6.Kg7 Ke7 7.Kg6 Rc3 8.g4
Rc4 9.g5 Rc6 10.Kf5 Kf7 11.Kg4 Rc4=)
5...Ke8=) 4...Kc6! 5.f4 Kd5 6.Kf6 Ke4 7.f5
Rc6 8.Kg5 Ke5 9.g4 Rc4=.
4.f4 Re3?
Hopeless is 4...Rg3 5.Rc2 Kb7 6.f5+–.
The way to draw lies through breakthrough
of the black king to white pawns from any
side. 4...Kc7!! 5.g4 Kd8 6.Kf7 Rc7 7.Kf8
Kd7 8.f5 Kd6 9.f6 Ke6 10.g5 Kf5 11.f7
Kg6!!=.
5.Kf6?
Each move in position by weight of gold.
5.Kf7 Rc3 6.f5 Kd5 7.g4 Ke5 8.f6 Rc6
9.Kg7 Rf6 10.Re1!+–.
5...Rc3!
Impossible is 5...Rxg3 6.Rxc2 Kd7 7.Re2!+–
6.g4

6.Ke6 Kc7!=.
6...Kd5 7.f5 Rc6 8.Kg7 Rc7 9.Kg6+–
The end would have been 9...Kd4 10.f6 Kd3
11.f7 Rc8 12.g5 Kd2 13.Rc2 Kc2 14.Kg7
and White wins. 1:0.

Bernstein ; Prins, London 1946

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1.Rc6 Kg5 leads to a clear draw, but White
exploits an ingenious possibility:
1.Rg6!?
White try to create mating threats, which win
a few decisive tempi for the advance of his
pawn.
1...Kh5!
Such a move is almost automatic and only
sometimes is mistake. In this case it is a
good move. 1...Kh3? 2.e5 Rb3 3.Kf4 Rb1
4.e6 Rf1 5.Ke3 Rf8 6.Kd4 Kh4 7.Ke5 b4
8.e7 Rb8 9.Re6 Re8 10.Kd6 b3 11.Kd7+–.
2.Rg1! Ra4??
Losing time. Right was 2...Kh6 3.e5 Rb3!
4.Kf4 Rb2 5.Re1 Kg7 6.e6 Kf8!=.
3.e5 c5 4.e6! Ra8
If 4...Ra6 5.Kf4! Re6 6.Kf5+–.
5.Kf4 c4 6.e7 c3 7.Kf5 Kh4
Defense against the mate is mandatory and
Black is forced to lose another tempo.
8.Rc1 b4 9.Rb1
Important temping move.
9...Rc8 10.Rb4 Kg3 11.Rb3 Kf2 12.Rc3
Rc3 13.e8Q 1:0.

FIDE Surveys – Oleksandr Sulypa

5

Reshevsky : Capablanca, AVRO 1938

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But not all positions develop as smoothly as
the previous example. The weaker side has
certain chances for defense if the connected
pawns are not far advanced and his own
pawn is near the last rank. At AVRO 1938,
Reshevsky twice had two connected pawns
versus one, but won in neither case, because
of the strategic features of the position.
1.Kd3
1.b4 e2 2.Re5 e1Q sacrificing the rook too
early, before the pawns are advanced far
enough, would only lose.
1...Kf4! 2.Rb8 Rd1 3.Ke2 Rd2 4.Ke1 Kf3
5.Rf8
5.a4 Re2 6.Kd1 Rd2 7.Kc1 Rd4=.
5...Ke4 6.b4 Ra2 7.Re8 Kf3 8.Rf8 Ke4 1/2.

Reshevsky : Alekhine, AVRO 1938

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A classic example of the struggle between
two connected pawns against an advanced
passing pawn.
1.g4 Kc6!
Alekhine knows where to move the king.
1...Ke6? 2.Kg3 Kf6 3.h3 Kg6 4.Kh4+– and
with help from the king, the pawns gradually
advance forward.
2.Kg3
2.g5 Rb5 3.Ra6 Kb7 4.Ra2 Rg5 5.Rc2 Rg8=.
2...Kb6 3.Ra8 Kb5 4.h3
If 4.g5, then 4...Kb4!, threatening 5...Rb3
and 6...Ra3=.
4...Kb4 5.Kf4

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5.Kh4 Kb3 6.g5 Rb1 7.Kh5 a1Q 8.Ra1 Ra1
9.g6 Kc4 10.g7 Rg1 11.Kh6 Kd5 12.Kh7
Ke6= (Levenfish and Smyslov);
5.g5? Rb3 6.Kg4 Ra3–+.
5...Rc2!
Threatening to create a shelter by 6...Rc4+
7.Kf5 (or 7.Kf3 Rc3+) 7...Rc5 and 8...Ra5.
Therefore White forces a draw.]

6.Rb8 Kc3 7.Ra8 Kb4
As correctly noted by Fine, it would be risky
for Black to try for a win by 7...Kb2?! 8.h4
a1Q 9.Ra1 Ka1 10.h5 Rh2! The attack
behind is always effective against the
connected passed pawns.
a) Fine gives only 10...Kb2 11.g5 when the
pawns prevail over the rook. 11...Kc3 12.g6
Rg2 13.Kf5+–.
b) The side attack leads to draw too, but in

FIDE Surveys – Oleksandr Sulypa

6

the more complicate way: 10...Rc4 and now
11.Kg5 Rc5 12.Kh4 Kb2 13.g5 Rc1 14.h6
Rh1 15.Kg4 (15.Kg3 Kc3 16.Kf4 Kd4=)
15...Kc3 16.Kf5 Kd4 17.Kf6 Ke4= or
11.Kf5 Kb2 12.Kg6 Kc3 13.h6 Kd4 14.g5
Ke5 15.Kg7 Rh1 16.g6 Kf5 17.h7 Rh2=.

Ernst : Giri, Netherlands 2011

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1...c1Q!
By giving one pawn Black won important
time and their king managed to block passed
pawns.
2.Rc1 Kf6
The king is on time to protect the position
and release the rook.
3.Rc6 Kg7 4.Kf4 Rb8!
4...Ra8? 5.Kg5 a4 6.Rc7 Kh8 7.Kh6+–.
5.Kf5 Rb5 6.Ke6

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6...Rb8!

The only move.
7.Kd7 a4 8.Ra6 a3 9.Ke7 a2 10.Ra2 Kg6
11.h8N
11.Rh2!? Kg7=
a) 11...Rh8?! 12.Rg2 Kf5! (Not 12...Kh7??
13.Kf7+–) 13.Rg7 Ra8=;
b) 11...Rb7 12.Ke6 Rh7 13.Rg2 Kh5 14.Kf6
Ra7=.
11...Rh8 1/2.