FIDE Surveys – Georg Mohr

1

Georg Mohr:
Rook against pawn
(Basic level)

We like to call these endings »rapid (fast)«
endings and in many cases we can
calculate everything, till the end, from
move to move. There are not so many
theoretical positions, but we shall study
typical, important techniques, which we
need to know for correct playing.
However, the most important are deep and
precise calculations.

PAWN STRONGER THAN
ROOK

All chess players shall know the famous
example, when single pawn is stronger
than a rook.

G. Barbier, F. Saavedra, 1895

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In this example we will met a technique
with a name »moving downstairs«. It is all
about how to avoid checks.
1.c7 Rd6 2.Kb5!
2.Kc5? Rd1 3.c8Q? Rc1.
2...Rd5 3.Kb4 Rd4 4.Kb3
Or 4.Kc3 Rd1 5.Kc2.
4...Rd3 5.Kc2

King can step on »c« file only on second
rank to prevent check from behind. This
study is famous because of its beautiful
end:
5...Rd4! 6.c8R!!
If 6.c8Q?, then 6...Rc4! 7.Qc4 and
stalemate!
6...Ra4 7.Kb3+-.

CUTTING THE KING OFF

This is a very important technique by
which a player with a rook prevents an
opponent's cooperation between the king
and the pawn. We can effectively cut the
king on the fifth rank:

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1.Rg5! +-.
Why this? Once the black pawn will
advance to the third rank (to a3), the rook
will simply attack it (Rg3) and the black
king will be too far to get help. So:

1...a4 2.Kg7 a3 3.Rg3! a2 4.Ra3
and the pawn is lost.

White can afford even a luxury and let the
black pawn to a2: 3.Kf6 a2 4.Rg1, with
further Ra1 and Ra2, but I advise you to
attack the pawn immediately.
With black on move, after 1 ... Kb5 (c5)
the position is a draw. Calculate the
variations yourself!

FIDE Surveys – Georg Mohr

2

If we move the position one file to the
right, then the speed will be decisive again.
The king cannot be definitively cut off:

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1.Rg5 Kb6
The king goes to a5 and a4. However, the
king manoeuvre loses time.
Calculate the consequences and the final
result after 2.Kg7!

PAWN PROMOTION TO A
KNIGHT

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1.Rh2 Kc1
Black can also save himself by stalemate:
1...Kb1! 2.Kb3 Ka1! 3.Rb2 – stalemate!.
However, this is possible only in positions
with knight's pawns (b or g). With a central
or a bishop pawn his only technique to
ensure a draw is pawn to knight promotion.

2.Kc3 b1N! 3.Kd3 Na3 4.Ra2 Nb1!=.
It is very important to know that the move
4…Nb5? loses: in those endings the knight
must always be at the king's side!

If black has a rook pawn, this method does
not work.

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There is no stalemate motif and also
promotion to the knight doesn't help:
1.Kc4 a2 2.Kb3 a1N 3.Kc3 +-.

Black will lose also with an additional
pawn on b file:

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1.Kb4 a2 2.Kb3 a1N 3.Kc3 b4 4.Kb4 Nc2
5.Kc3 Ne3 6.Rh4!
We will follow very instructive fight
between the rook and the knight.
Nevertheless, 6.Kd3 is enough, too:

FIDE Surveys – Georg Mohr

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6…Nd5 7.Rh4! Kb2 8.Rd4+- and the
knight is lost.
6...Ka2
6...Nd1 7.Kd2 Nb2 8.Rb4 Ka2 9.Kc2 Ka1
10.Rb8+-;
6...Nd5 7.Kb3 Kc1 8.Rc4 Kb1 9.Rd4+-.
7.Ra4 Kb1 8.Re4 Nf5 9.Re5 Nd6 10.Kb3
Kc1 11.Rc5 Kb1 12.Rd5+-.

STALEMATE

We already know the stalemate motif. In
the next diagram is the position, when it
occurs many times.

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Careful! Black will lose after 1...a2? 2.Rb8
Ka3 3.Kc2! a1S 4.Kc3 Ka2 5.Rb7 +-, what
we already know. The only correct way is:
1...Kb2! 2.Rb8
Or 2.Rh2 Kb3!=, but not 2...Kb1??
3.Kc3+-.
2...Kc1!
The crucial move of our defence!
3.Ra8 Kb2 4.Kd2 a2 5.Rb8 Ka1!=
5...Ka3? 6.Kc2+-.

AN INTERMEDIATE
CHECK

Next important technique is so-called
intermediate check. The idea is to gain a
tempo and to drive the opponents king to a
worse square.

Kortchnoi : Kengis, Bern 1996

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1...Kf2 2.Rf8!
It is very important to understand that
2.Kd3? g3 3.Rf8 Ke1! leads to a draw!
2...Ke2 3.Rg8! Kf3
Due to the intermediate check, white drove
the opponent’s king from f2 to f3. Now,
after Kd3, white comes to opposition.
Black king cannot reach the saving square
e1 anymore!
4.Kd3 g3 5.Rf8 Kg2 6.Ke2+-.

SHOULDERING

We saw this technique in the previous
example. Everything is about such king
moves that don't allow the opposite king to
come closer to ours. We don't allow him to
take the shortest way, so he has to go
around.

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FIDE Surveys – Georg Mohr

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After the logical:
1.Rh2
There is only one correct answer:
1...Ka3!
We already know the position after
1...Kb1? 2.Kb3 a1N 3.Kc3 – it is lost for
black, but with 1...Ka3 white does not
allow him to reach the winning square b3.

Maizelis, 1950

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We already know the technique of cutting
off (after 1...a5? 2.Rh5). So, black has to
play with his king. But where – to b5 or
c5? There is a simple advice in such
positions: it is much more important to
play against the opponent’s king than to
support our pawn. However, don't forget
about the pawn, of course … 
Wrong is 1...Kb5 2.Kf7 a5 3.Ke6 a4 4.Kd5
Kb4 5.Kd4 a3 6.Rb8 Ka4 7.Kc3 and white
wins.
Correct is 1...Kc5! After 2.Kf7 a5 3.Ke6
a4 white cannot play Kd5, so he cannot
achieve opposition. From e5 he is already
too late: 4.Ke5 a3 5.Rc8 Kb4 6.Kd4 a2
7.Ra8 Kb3 8.Kd3 Kb2 9.Rb8 Kc1!

OUTFLANKING

Practically everything about this motif is
said in the famous Reti study:

Reti, 1928

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1.Rd2!!
Fantastic move, putting black in
zugzwang! »The only logical« 1.Rd1? is a
mistake: 1...d4, with shouldering to follow:
2.Kd7 (2.Kf7 Ke4 3.Ke6 d3=) 2...Kd5!
(Black prevents outflanking.) 3.Kc7 Kc5!
(3...Kc4? 4.Kd6 d3 5.Ke5+-) 4.Kb7 Kc4=.
A similar solution is 1.Rd3!!+-.
1...d4 2.Rd1!
A wonderful move: white loses a tempo,
forcing black to play. Now all his moves
are losing:
2...Kd5 3.Kd7!
Zugzwang – black has to show which side
he takes with the king.
3...Kc4
Or 3...Ke4 4.Kc6 d3 5.Kc5 Ke3 6.Kc4 d2
7.Kc3+-.
4.Ke6 d3 5.Ke5 Kc3 6.Ke4 d2 7.Ke3+-.

FIDE Surveys – Georg Mohr

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EXERCISES

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(1) 1.?

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(2) 1.?

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(3) 1…?

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(4) 1.?

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(5) 1…?

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(6) 1.?

FIDE Surveys – Georg Mohr

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(7) 1.?

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(8) 1.?

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(9) 1.?

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(10) 1.?

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(11) 1.?

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(12) 1.?

FIDE Surveys – Georg Mohr

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SOLUTIONS

1) Eisenstadt, 1950
1.Rg6! Kf4 2.Kg7! g4 3.Kh6 g3 4.Kh5 Kf3 5.Kh4 +-.
2) Urmancheev : Podolsky, USSR 1972
1…Kb4! = (1.Kb6? (game) 1…Kc4 2.a6 Rh6 3.Kb7 Kb5 4.a7 Rh7 0:1).
3) Alekhine : Bogoljubow, Germany (WCH) 1929
1…Ke4! = (1. ...Kg4? (game) 2.b7 f5 3.b8Q Rb8 4.Rb8 f4 5.Kd5 f3 6.Ke4 f2 7.Rf8 Kg3
8.Ke3 1:0).
4) Kukovec : Podlesnik, Bled 2001
1.Kc4! (1.Rh3? (game) 1…Ke4 2.Kc4 f3 3.Rh8 n=) 1…Ke4 2.Kc3 Ke3 3.Kc2 f3 (3. ...Kf3
4.Rh3 Ke2 5.Rh7!) 4.Kd1 Kf2 5.Rh3 Kg2 6.Rh7 f2 7.Rg7 Kf3 8.Rf7+-.
5) Leko : Markowsky, Polanica 1998
1. ...h2! (1...Kd3? (game) 2.Kf3 h2 3.Rd8 Kc2 4.Rh8 Kd3 5.Kf2 Kd2 6.Rh2 c3 7.Kf1 Kd1
8.Rh8 c2 9.Rd8 Kc1 10.Ke2 1:0) 2.Th8 c3 3.Th2 Kd3! =.
6) Lerner : Dorfman, Tashkent 1980
1.Rf2!! Kh6 2.Kb7 g4 3.Kc6 Kh5 4.Kd5 g3 5.Rf8 Kh4 6.Ke4 1:0.
7) Leko : Kramnik, Budapest 2001
1.Rd2! (1.c8Q? (game) 1…Rc8 2.Kc8 Kd5 3.Kd7 e4 4.Rb5 Kd4 5.Ke6 e3 6.Kf5 e2 =.)
1…Ke6 2.Rd1! Rc2 3.c8Q Rc8 4.Kc8 e4 5.Kc7 1:0.
8) Fries-Nielsen : Plachetka, Slovakia 1991
1.Rg2! (1.Kc6? (game) 1…h5 2.Kd5 h4 3.Ke4 h3 4.Ke3 Kg3 5.Re1 h2 =.) 1…Kf4 2.Rh2!
Kg5 3.Kc6 h5 4.Kd5 h4 5.Ke4 Kg4 6.Rg2 +-.
9) Diaz : Dominguez, Cuba 1981
1.Re2! (1.Kd6? (game) 1…f5 2.Re2 Kd4, draw.) 1…Kd5 (1. …Kf3 2.Re1! f5 3.Kd6 f4 4.Ke5
Kf2 5.Ra1 f3 6.Kd4 +-.) 2.Rf2! Ke5 3.Kd7 f5 4.Ke7 f4 5.Rf1! +-.
10) Marshall : Duras, San Sebastian 1911
1.Rg5 (1.Kd2? (game) 1…h3 2.Ke2 h2 3.Rg5 Kh1!, draw.) 1…Kf3 2.Rh5 Kg3 3.Kd2 h3
4.Ke2 Kg2 5.Rg5 +-.
11) Averbakh, 1980
1.Ke6! (1.Rg5 Kf4 2.Kf6 e4 =; 1.Kd6? e4 2.Rg5 Kd3 =; 1.Kf6? e4 2.Rg5 Kf3 =.) 1…e4
2.Rg5!! +-:
a) 2…Kd2(d3) 3.Rd5! Kc2 4.Re5! Kd3 5.Kf5! +-;
b) 2…Kf2(f3) 3.Rf5! Kg2 4.Re5! Kf3 5.Kd5! +-;
c) 2…Ke2 3.Ke5 e3 4.Ke4 +-.
12) Kopaev, 1954
1.Rf7 Kg3 (1…Ke3 2.Rg7! Kf4 3.Kf7 g4 4.Kg6! g3 5.Kh5 +-.) 2.Ke7 g4 3.Ke6 (3.Kf6? Kf4!)
3…Kh2 4.Kf5 g3 5.Kg4 g2 6.Rh7 Kg1 7.Kg3 Kf1 8.Rf7 Kg1 9.Rf8 Kh1 10.Rh8 Kg1 11.Rh2
+-.

Sources:

Mark Dvoretsky: Endgame Manual
Adrian Mikhalchishin: Various articles

FIDE Surveys – Georg Mohr

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