rook placement stops pawn promotion

By · · 2 min read · Updated May 8, 2026

This is a Black-to-move Rook endings endgame study. With best play, the result is draw; the solution runs 10 half-moves.

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rook placement stops pawn promotion is a Rook endings endgame study from the Climbchess curated set of 80 positions. With rooks and pawns on the board, active rook placement and precise king positioning can secure a draw even when under pressure.

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Position: Black to move. Result with best play: draw. Solution length: 10 half-moves.

FEN: 8/8/8/4k1r1/6R1/7P/6K1/8 b - - 0 1

Solving guide (move by move)

Show step-by-step solution

Try the position yourself first — endgame technique compounds when you struggle through the calculation before peeking.

  1. Black: g5h5
  2. White: g2g3
  3. Black: e5f6
  4. White: g3f4
  5. Black: h5f5
  6. White: f4e3
  7. Black: f5f1
  8. White: g4b4
  9. Black: f6g7
  10. White: e3e2

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About Rook endings

Lucena, Philidor, Vancura — the most common practical endgames.

Related endgames

Underlying chess concepts

Endgame technique reduces to a small number of recurring patterns: opposition, key squares, zugzwang, fortress, breakthrough. Climbchess catalogues 4,505 interpretable patterns extracted from Leela Chess Zero via sparse autoencoders. Browse the methodology or jump straight into the trainer to attempt this exact position interactively.

Frequently asked

Is this position a win, draw or loss?

With best play: draw. Black moves first.

What is the key idea?

With rooks and pawns on the board, active rook placement and precise king positioning can secure a draw even when under pressure.

How long is the solution?

10 half-moves (5 full moves) of forced or near-forced play.

Where can I practise it?

Open the Climbchess trainer using the deep-link button — the position loads pre-set so you can play it out against the engine.