White to move. How should White proceed?
2r5/5PR1/6P1/p4k1K/P7/7p/8/8 w – – 0 1
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Rook and Pawn endgame
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White to move. How should White proceed?
2r5/5PR1/6P1/p4k1K/P7/7p/8/8 w – – 0 1
1. f8(Q)+ Rxf8
2. Rf7+
And then we have 2 lines:
3. …Ke4 Rxf8
4. h2 Rf1
Obviously gives a 1-0.
3. …Rxf7 gxf7
4. h2 f8(Q)+
5. Ke4 Qf1
Again wins. Right?
Hmm
Rg8 and F8 both look winning.
But one is suicide and one is a killer.
Arctic Knight
1. f8=Q+ Rxf8
2. Rf7+ Rxf7
3. gxf7 h2
5. f8=Q
followed by 5. Qf1
1. f8=Q+ Rxf8
2. Rf7+ Rxf7
3. gxf7 and continue to queen
1. Rg8? Rf8!
and black can go and queen his rook pawn
The winning line is
1 f8=Q+! Rxf8
2 Rf7+ Rxf7
3 gxf7 h2
4 f8=Q+
Followed by going after the h pawn, with an easy win.
Note that Rg8 actually loses.
1 Rg8?? Rf8!
Now White can’t stop the pawn from promoting.
2 Kh6
2 Rxf8 transposes into the main line. Nothing else is any good, either.
2… Kf6!
The careless 2…a2? gives White chances with 3 Kg7 h1=Q, 4 Rxf8 Qc3, 5 Re8.
3 Rxf8 h2 wins.
If 4 Kh7 h1=Q+, 5 Kg8 Qh6 and mate next.
1. f8 (Q)+ Rxf8
2. Rf7+ Rxf7
3. gxf7 h2
4 f8 (Q)+ & Qf1 to pick up H pawn
if 2… K moves, then white picks up the R on f8 & has time to get back to f1 to stop black’s pawn.
1. f8Q+ Rf8
2. Rf7+
White gives one of his two free pawns in order to stop black’s one:
1. f8Q!! Rxf8 2. Rf7+
If 2. .. Rxf7 3.gxf7 h2 4. f8Q+ Ke4 5. Qf1 +-
If 2. .. Ke6 3. Rxf8 h2 4. Rf1 +-
1. f8=Q+ Rxf8
2. Rf7+ RxR7
3. gxf7 h2
4. f8=Q+ K whatever
5. Qf1 and white winn
f8Q and Rf7+ is winning for white!
You need to prevent Black’s queening his pawn.
f8(Q)+ Rxf8
Rf7+ Rxf7
gxf7 h2
f8(Q)+ and back to first rank to prevent queening.
Likewise if Black does not take R
Rf7+ Ke5
Rxf8 h2
Rf1