[Event "Rook endgames: Lucena position: The 'simple' Lucena"] [Site "https://lichess.org/study/wQPygnGe/uViMPcXB"] [Result "*"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "?"] [Opening "?"] [Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/MikaAlka"] [FEN "2K5/2P1k3/8/8/8/8/3R4/1r6 w - - 0 1"] [SetUp "1"] [UTCDate "2017.01.06"] [UTCTime "06:02:31"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/wQPygnGe/uViMPcXB"] [Orientation "white"] { This is called the "Lucena position", named after the spanish grandmaster Lucena. It's actually the most important Rook endgame you'll ever see. White has a passed pawn wich is close to promotion, but his king is temporary blocked. How to proceed? } { [%csl Yc8] } 1. Re2+! { White forces the black king to go back, freeing white's king. } { [%csl Gc8] } (1. Rd7+?! Ke8 2. Rd8+ Ke7 3. Rd7+ Ke8 { and }) (1. Rh2?! Ke8 2. Rh8+ Ke7 3. Rh7+ Ke8 { are both nothing. }) 1... Kf7 { Again an important position. How to proceed? } (1... Kd6 2. Kd8 $18 { [%cal Gc7c8] }) 2. Re4!! { A misterious Rook move, but the idea will be obvious soon. } (2. Kd8?! Rd1+ 3. Kc8 Rb1 { makes no progress. }) (2. Kd7?! { The obvious try, but not good enough. } 2... Rd1+ 3. Kc6 Rc1+ 4. Kd6 Rd1+ 5. Ke5 { The white king is safe. Is he winning? } 5... Rc1 { No! } 6. Kd6 Rd1+ 7. Kc6 Rc1+ 8. Kd7 Rd1+ 9. Kc8 Rb1 { And again, no progress. }) (2. Rf2+?! Ke7 3. Re2+ Kf7 { is also nothing. }) 2... Rb2 { Black does his best to wait. } (2... Kf6 3. Kd7 Rd1+ 4. Kc6 Rc1+ 5. Kd6 Rd1+ 6. Kc5 Rc1+ 7. Rc4! { is the same. } { [%cal Gc7c8] }) 3. Kd7 { Now the king can come out. } 3... Rd2+ 4. Kc6 Rc2+ 5. Kd6 (5. Kd5?? Rxc7 { would spoil all the hard work. }) 5... Rd2+ 6. Kc5 Rc2+ 7. Rc4! { Promotion is uninventable. } { [%cal Gc7c8] } *