“In order to improve your game, you must study the endgame before everything else, for whereas the endings can be studied and mastered by themselves, the middle game and the opening must be studied in relation to the endgame.” – José Raúl Capablanca
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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In a similar position with the rim pawn, white cannot win, because Black defends with stalemate. ← Basic EndingsBasic Endings →
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I ) When the white king is on e6, Black to move draws. ← Basic EndingsBasic Endings →
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H ) When the white king is on e5, Black to move loses. ← Basic EndingsBasic Endings →
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G ) When the white king is on f5, Black to move draws ← Basic EndingsBasic Endings →
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F ) When the white king is on e4, Black to move loses because he cannot reach Vancura’s position. Namely, if 1…Rf1 there goes 2.Ke5, if 1…Rc1 2.Kd5 The most resistant is: ← Basic EndingsBasic Endings →
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E ) When the white king is on f4 Black must not play 1…Rf1+ 2.Ke5 Rf6 due to 3.Rg8+. However, Black to move draws with: ← Basic EndingsBasic Endings →
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D ) If the king is on the third tank ( e3, f3, g3 or h3 ) Black to move draws by transferring the rook with tempo onto the sixth rank. When the white king is on d3, Black to move loses the game. ← Basic EndingsBasic Endings →
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C ) When the white king is on d2, Black to move can still draw with 1…Rb1 followed by Rb6. However, when the white king is on c2, Black to move cannot avoid losing the game. The reason is the White’s attack on the rook which may gain him a crucial tempo to approach […]
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B ) When the white king is on e2 and aiming at square b5, Black to move draws only by using the path b1-b6 or c1-c6. ← Basic EndingsBasic Endings →
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