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6.3. Rook and Pawn Versus Rook (Lucena Position) Lucena Position is one of key positions in Rook vs Pawn Endgames. In most cases these endgames are a draw, especially when the pawn is distant from the promotion square. When the pawn is relatively close, the crucial question is if the weaker side’s king will […]
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Rook and Pawn versus Bishop White’s material advantage is so big that the win is only the matter of elementary technique. When, however, Black blocks the square in front of the passed pawn with both pieces, the way to win is extremely difficult, and sometimes even impossible. Relative positions of kings and pawns are […]
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If the white distant passed pawn were shifted one rank back, a very different position would arise! White wins since after eliminating the black distant passed pawn Black’s king will not be able to control the key-square b7 in time. For all similar positions a universal rule holds: White always wins provided his […]
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Key squares and the opposition are the basic rules in king and pawn endgames. This video is recapitulation of positions P-12, P-13 and P-14 from Basic Chess Endgames by GM Vlado Kovacevic.
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In the position with the central pawn on the seventh rank, there is an essential difference between the situation with the black king on the shorter and the king on the longer side. Black can be saved only when his king on the shorter side, provided that he can check sideways. The following position […]
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In more complex pawn endings sometimes it is important to know whether two isolated passed pawns can win without the support of the king. In this situation we are helped out by the rule of the “common square”, formulated by A. Studenecki in 1939. The “common square” is a square the length of the […]
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White’s prospects of winning are the best with a rook’s pawn since then the bishop has the least manoeuvring space. When the pawn is on the seventh, the black bishop does not have the short diagonal at all. White always wins provided he can prevent the enemy king from entering into the drawing zone […]
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If we move the pawns one rank back, they will not be able to win without the support of the king. But if the white king is far, the pawns will perish since they will not be able to defend each other. The common square ends on the seventh rank. This means that the […]
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Rook against Bishop and Two Pawns Bishop and Two Pawns are in endgame usually much stronger than a rook. Evaluation of the position mostly depends on pawn structure, distance to promotion square and piece activity. We will divide these endgames accordingly: with connected pawns, with isolated (disconnected) pawns, with doubled pawns. a ) Endings […]
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The most difficult in queen endgames is to realize minimal advantage. Queen and pawn can win against queen if the weaker side’s king is not in front of the pawn and if it is possible to prevent draw by repetition. The best chances to win are with the pawn on the seventh rank, and […]
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