Cutting off on the file

White wins White to move · Rook endgames · Difficulty about Elo 1400

The plan

The black king is cut off from the pawn: the rook on the e-file no longer lets it across. With a centre pawn, a single file of cutting-off is already enough to win — so you do not even have to calculate all the way to the Lucena position to know the game is won. The path there consists of two rules: the rook holds the cutting-off file at all costs, and the king goes round the pawn on its SHORT side, all the way up to the queening square. The cutting-off file belongs to the rook alone — not even your own king may block it, or the cut-off collapses just the same. Direction matters too: the opponent has to be pushed onto the WIDE half of the board, so that its rook lacks the checking distance on the short side. Cut off the wrong way round and the defender gets exactly the ideal set-up 'king short, rook long' and holds the draw — and with a rook pawn there is no short side left at all, so the cut-off there is worthless.

Rule of thumb: one file of cutting-off wins if you push the opponent to the wide side and march yourself on the short one.

Why this level: Cutting off wins, but only in the right direction

The solution, move by move

1. 1. d6 The pawn sets off, and the rook simply stays where it is. As long as the cut-off on the e-file holds, every pawn step is free — the black king is not even allowed to come forward.
   Sideline 1. Rf1+ The most natural mistake of all: a check is always tempting. But the rook leaves the e-file for it — and with it goes the cut-off that had won the whole position. 1… Ke7 The king walks straight through the open door. From e7 it can no longer be stopped. 2. Re1+ The cut-off can no longer be re-established: the check drives the king exactly where it wanted to go anyway — 2… Kd7 — right in front of the pawn. A defending king IN FRONT OF the enemy pawn is the core of every rook-endgame defence. 3. Kc5 Ra6 Plus the Philidor set-up: the rook holds the sixth rank and shuts the white king out. 4. d6 Kd8 The king clings to the front of the pawn and never gives up the square d8 again. 5. Kd5 Kd7 Draw — White never gets past the blocking king. Remember: a check that gives up the cut-off is not a check, it's half a point less.
   Sideline 1. Ke5 The second natural mistake: the king centralises — and in doing so stands in its own rook's way on the e-file. The cut-off is gone just as if the rook itself had moved away. 1… Ke7 And that very hole gets used at once: e7 is free, because the white king on e5 interrupts the defence of its own rook. 2. d6+ Kd7 The black king stands in front of the pawn — the rest is ordinary defensive technique. 3. Kd5 Ra5+ The side checks drive the white king back — 4. Kd4 Ra6 — and the rook takes up the Philidor rank. Draw. Remember: the cutting-off file belongs to the rook alone; not even your own king may block it.
2. 1… Rb2 Black can only cause trouble from the side now. Its king is a mere spectator as long as the white rook holds the e-file.
3. 2. Kc5 Now the king sets off — on the SHORT side of the pawn (a to c). From there it is only four steps to the queening square, and the black rook lacks the checking distance it needs on three files.
4. 2… Rd2
5. 3. Kc6 The king comes closer, and Black has to start giving checks — otherwise the pawn simply runs through.
6. 3… Rc2+
7. 4. Kb6 The king sidesteps the check, but never goes back. b6 is the detour that still brings it closer to the pawn.
8. 4… Rb2+
9. 5. Kc7 And already it stands on c7, in the anteroom of the queening square. That is how short the paths are when the opponent has only three files to check from.
10. 5… Rc2+
11. 6. Kd8 The king has reached the queening square and stands IN FRONT OF its own pawn. From this pawn formation on, side checks achieve nothing any more.
12. 6… Ra2
13. 7. d7 And there it stands: the LUCENA POSITION. Your own king in front of the pawn on the queening square, the pawn on the seventh rank, the enemy king cut off. How it continues from here is shown by the companion lessons 'Lucena — the winning position' (rook as a shield) and 'Building the bridge'.

More in Rook endgames

• Rook against pawn — one square too far Draw
• Building the bridge — Lucena, second method White wins
• Rook against pawn — the king catches it White wins
• Frontal defence — the rook in front of the pawn Draw
• Short side, long side Draw
• The rook needs distance Draw