The Lucena position is the crucial winning technique in rook and pawn against rook endings. If the stronger side can reach it, the pawn queens. Here White has a pawn on d7 and the king on d8, on the brink of promotion.
The win comes from «building the bridge»: the rook takes up position on the fourth rank, the king steps out from behind the pawn, and the rook then screens him from the opponent's side checks. After that the pawn cannot be stopped.
Lucena and Philidor are the two central positions of every rook ending: one shows how to win, the other how to draw. Know them and you can handle the commonest type of endgame with confidence.
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.
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