Two connected passers on the sixth rank are often stronger than a rook - but not when the defending king gets them blockaded in time. If the king stands in front of the pawns, the rook picks them off at leisure.
Here White has the king on d5 and connected passers on d6 and e6; Black has the king on e8 and the rook on a8. White to move, and Black nonetheless wins (per the tablebases): the black king blockades the pawns from the front and the rook wins them.
The counterweight lesson: the strength of connected passers lies in their advance, and the moment a king is planted in front of them the advantage evaporates. What matters is who gets the pawns under control first.
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.
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It is the mating side to move. Find mate in one.
Openings, endgame positions and breakthrough studies - the set-up appears on the board.
Up to the sixth rank, usually yes, if it stands behind them and the king joins in. Pawns on the sixth with king support beat a lone rook.
Behind the further of the two pawns: that way it controls the advance squares of both.
If trading it for both pawns produces a drawn ending - that is a normal practical resource.
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