Category: Rook+B vs Rook

  The path to victory does not always lead through Philidor’s or Lolli’s position on the c ( f ) -file. In exceptional situations, Black can suffer defeat due to the very poor position of the rook. We see one such situation in the following study (V. Kovačević 2004).  ...

  Having considered the five introductory, critical positions and getting to know all the motifs and ideas encountered in Lolli’s position with the kings on the b(g)-file, we will move on to consider this most complex and convincingly most difficult endgame of rook and bishop against rook  (Lolli 1763). As in all previous similar situations,...

  j) Black is lost in a similar position when his rook is anywhere on the first rank.  ...

  i) When the black rook is on the second rank, then White most often wins by moving to the Philidor position.  ...

  h) When his rook is, in the observed position, anywhere on the third rank, Black loses mainly because there he has no checks on the b-file.  ...

  e) In a similar position, Black loses.  ...

  d) Black draws even when he can give check from square h6.  ...

  b) Although at first glance it seems very passive, the defense from the eighth rank also brings success.  ...

  Black to move loses because he can’t keep the rook on the c-file, nor switch it to the saving h-file!  ...