Cutting the king off is the most important winning technique in rook endings. The rook takes up the file between the enemy king and the passed pawn: the king cannot approach the pawn, and with its own king's support the pawn queens.
Here White has the king on c3, a pawn on c4 and the rook on d5; Black has the king on e4 and the rook on c8. Black to move, and White nonetheless wins (per the tablebases): the rook on d5 has cut the black king off along the d-file, and he is powerless against the c-pawn.
The lesson: the further the king is cut off from the passer, the easier the win. Cutting off along a file is the first technique to master for converting an extra pawn in a rook ending.
Drag a piece onto the board, or click a piece and then click the squares. The cross beside the pieces sweeps every piece of that colour off the board, and a single piece can be dragged off the edge.
The pieces will be arranged into the chosen pattern.
It is the mating side to move. Find mate in one.
Openings, endgame positions and breakthrough studies - the set-up appears on the board.
The enemy king physically cannot approach the passed pawn: he is shut on the other side of the line the rook holds.
The further the better. A cut-off of three files or more is usually enough to win.
If the rook can be driven off the line or exchanged - then the king comes back to the pawn.
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