White to move. Is this a win, draw, or loss for White? H9w should White proceed?
8/1R6/p5P1/P7/7p/8/2r5/k5K1 w – – 0 2
Chess Daily News from Susan Polgar
R and P endgame improvement
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win
1. Rb4
1g7 Rc8 2 Kh2 Ka3 then WK takes h4,
moves to h7 and 8g=Q Rxg8 9 Kxg8.
At the same time, BK takes a5 and comes back. From g8, WK rushes to b3. Final position after 14 Kb3 is
W: Kb3 Rb7 B:Ka1 Pa2.
B has to play 14..Kb1, and then 15 Ka3+ wins.
Rb4 and white will win
This seems deceptively easy. I have to missing something really obvious. It seems that g7 should win.
1. g7 Rc8 (alternatives follow)
For white, it is tempting to play Rf7 here (threatening Rf8), but
2. Rf7 Rg8
3. Kh2 Ka2
4. Kh3 Ka3
5. Kh4 Ka4
6. Kh5 Ka5
7. Kh6 Kb4
8. Kh7 Rg7
9. Kg7 a5
10.Kf6 a4
11.Ke5 a3
12.Kd4 a2
And white will have to give up his rook for the pawn, or endlessly check the black king from a a distance. The game is a draw.
The problem arises all the way back at white’s third move- he would like to check the black king, put the rook behind the g-pawn, and then put the rook on a square on the g-file from which the rook cuts the black king off from the a-pawns (like g3, after which, the white king can march to g7 and win the rook), but after the first two moves, there is no way accomplish this. At move three, Rf1+ won’t work since the white king is occupying the g1 square, and if, at move 3, white play Kh2 clearing the g1 square, black replies with Ka2- for example:
3. Kh2 Ka2
And now, Rf2+ won’t work to implement the plan because it is now a move too late:
4. Rf2 Ka3
5. Rg2 Ka4
6. Rg5
And, now, black can draw with
6. …..Rg7
7. Rg7 Ka5
8. Rg4 Kb5
9. Rh4 a5
10.Kg2 a4
11.Kf2 a3 and the rook will have to either check endlessly from a distance or sacrifice itself for the pawn.
I will continue this in my next comment.
In my previous comment, I showed, I hope without error, that the plan
1. g7 Rc8
2. Rf7 Rg8
3. Kh2 Ka2
4. Rf2 Ka3
5. Rg2 Ka4
6. Rg5 doesn’t win for white as black can draw by forcing the issue immediately by taking at g7 on move 6. So, the question is this, at what point does white go wrong? I think white’s mistake is at move 2. From the top:
1. g7 Rc8
2. Rb4!
If not for the h4 pawn, you would play Rb3 since this keeps the black king the maximum distance from a5, but Rb4 is good enough. Black has moves like Ka2, h3, and moves of the rook along the 8th rank, or a check from c1:
2. …..Ka2
3. Rg4 Rg8 (only move)
4. Kh2 Kb3 (what else?)
5. Kh3 Kc3 (Ka3 loses, too)
6. Kh4 Kd3
7. Kh5 Ke3
8. Kh6 Kf3
9. Kh7 and white will win regardless of whether black takes at g7 or at g4. Also, it will do black no good at move 5 in this line to play Rg7:
5. …..Rg7
6. Rg7 Kb4
7. Rg5 and white holds onto a5 and wins the game. Also, none of black’s move 2 alternatives make a material difference:
2. …..h3
3. Rg4 Rg8 (Rc1 4.Kh2 Rc2 5.Kh3+-)
4. Kh2 and this line will play out just like the previous one. Or
2. …..Rc1
3. Kh2 Rc2
4. Kh3 Rc3
5. Kh4 and the black rook will have to return to the 8th rank and the line will play out just like the 2 previous ones. Or
2. …..Ra8/d8/e8
3. Rg4 and this is just like the positions we have already looked at.
The strategy in an ending, as is the case with chess in general, is to achieve your plan without allowing your opponent to achieve his/her plan.
White wants to capture Black’s h-pawn and force Black to give up his Rook for her g-pawn.
Black can’t stop the above, so his plan is to capture White’s a-pawn and force White to give up her Rook for his a-pawn.
While there are many winning moves for White, the one I chose illustrates the principle of advancing your plan, while stopping your opponent’s plan.
1 Rb4!
This move serves two purposes: It prepares the Rook to get behind the g-pawn, and it cuts off Black King’s access to White’s a-pawn. After this, Black has no counterplay at all.
1… Rc7
Black has do to this or 1… Rc8 eventually; other moves don’t alter the situation.
Now, White gets the King into action, capturing Black’s h-pawn and advancing to support her g-pawn
2 Rg4 Rg7
3 Kh2 Kb2
4 Kh3 Kb3
5 Kxh4
Now we see the purpose of 1 Rb4: Black is unable to cross the fourth rank to get to White’s a-pawn.
5…. Ka3
6 Kh5 kb3
7 Kh6 Rg8
8 Kh7 Rb8
White’s last two moves drive the Rook away so the pawn can advance.
9 g7 Rb7
10 Kh8 Rb8+
11 g8=Q+ Rxg8
12 Kxg8
Capturing with the Rook also wins, as it can go back to g5 to protect the pawn. With the given move, White has accomplished her goal, while Black hasn’t been allowed to complete the first part of his goal.
—
As said, other moves also win, but they also make White be careful of some tactical shots. For example:
1 g7 h3
Black sets a trap.
2 g8=Q+?
The simple 2 g8=R wins, as well as do various Rook moves.
2…. h2+
3 Kh1 Rc1+
4 Kxh2 Rh1+!
The point. White can’t take the Rook because it’s stalemate.
5 Kg3
Of course, 5 Kg2 Rg1+ still causes stalemate if the Rook is captured. with the given move, White gives up the Queen to try to get the King as close to the other side as possible for the R+P ending.
5… Rg1+
6 Kf4 Rxg8
7 Rb6
7 Ra7 leads to the same basic result after 7… Rg6.
7…. Ra8
Simplest, although other moves also draw.
8 Ke4 Ka2
9 Kd4 Ka3
10 Kc4 Ka4
11 Rb1
One last trap, hoping for 11… Kxa5??, 12 Ra1#.
11… Rc8+
12 Kd4 Kxa5
13 Ra1+
And the position is drawn.
I did miss something, but it wasn’t obvious.
White cannot play this line that I mentioned in passing in my first comment:
1. g7 h3 (a trap black sets!)
2. g8(Q)
And, now, instead of the Rg2 move I thought black would lose with anyway, he has the nice shot
2. …..h2!
3. Kh1 Rc1
4. Kh2
Of course, Kg2 is met by Rg1+:
4. …..Rh1! with a draw since the rook cannot be taken at h1 or on g1 on the next move since black would be stalemated.
Sheesh! What I get for not being thorough and looking carefully at the black first move alternatives.
The solution, of course, is, if white is going to play 1.g7 and black does reply with 1. ….h3, white must play 2.g8(R) instead to avoid taking the a2 square away from the black king.
1. g7 Rc8
2. Rf7 wins, i think. rook checks should be answered by marching the king up the h-file. greets, jan
1.g7 1..rc8(2.h2?? 2..Q=g8+ its a check so black has no time for 2..h2 tricks)2.rb4 is winning cutting the king off planning to march the king around the rook for the win