Grivas on rook endings, connected pawns

by Efstratios Grivas
10/14/2024 – In rook endings the privilege of having connected passed pawns can easily make the difference. But even in this case there are many hidden resources. Of course generalisations are not always helpful – still, here is some advice by world-class trainer Efstratios Grivas to help you master this endgame. Study his instructions and count the rating points you gain.
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Advice on rook endings and connected pawns

  1. In very general terms, if the king of the superior side (the side with the rook) is close to the pawns, then the superior side wins against two pawns and draws against three or four.
  2. Two or more pawns win if they are sufficiently advanced, provided that their king can support them and the enemy king is remote.
  3. Two connected passed pawns, in the absence of kings, win if they have both reached their 6th rank; otherwise, in most cases the rook wins.
  4. Against three connected pawns, the rook wins if his king is near and the pawns have not advanced further than their 4th rank. If one of the pawns has reached the 6th rank then it offers good drawing chances, while a pawn on the 7th actually forces the side with the rook to fight for the draw.
  5. Connected passed pawns are much stronger than isolated ones.
  6. When facing isolated pawns, the rook must first act against the pawn that is supported by its king.
  7. In all cases both kings aim to approach the pawns. The pawns need the support of their king in order to advance, while the enemy king aims to block their advance by placing himself in front of them.
  8. The rook usually stops the pawns more effectively from its 1st rank.
  9. If the side with the rook also has a pawn, then its chances increase dramatically, as the pawn can usually become a passed one.
Grivas, Efstratios24751–0Soylu, Suat2375
Balkaniad tt
Varna13.10.1994[Efstratios Grivas]
1.Nf3 Nc6 2.d4 d5 3.Bf4 Bg4 4.e3 e6 5.c4 Bd6 6.Bg3 Nf6 7.Nc3 0-0 8.c5 Bxg3 9.hxg3 e5 10.Be2 e4 11.Ne5 Bxe2 12.Qxe2 Qe8 13.Ng4 Nxg4 14.Qxg4 f5 15.Qh4 h6 16.Nxd5 Qf7 17.Nc3 Qc4 18.a3 b6 19.cxb6 Rab8 20.Qh5 Rxb6 21.Nd1 Rb3 22.g4 f4 23.Rc1 Qxc1 24.Qd5+ Kh8 25.Qxb3 Rb8 26.Qc3 Qxc3+ 27.bxc3 fxe3 28.fxe3 Rb3 29.Rh5 Rxa3 30.Rc5 Ra6 31.Nb2 Ne7 32.Re5 Ng8 33.Rxe4 Nf6 34.Re7 Ra2 35.Nd3 Rxg2 36.Rxc7 a5 37.Nf4 Rxg4 38.Ra7 Rg3 39.Ke2 h5 40.Rxa5 h4 41.Nh5 Rg2+ 42.Kf3 Rc2 43.Nxf6 gxf6 44.Rh5+ Kg7 45.Rxh4 Rxc3 (D)
Central and connected pawns are almost always beneficial for the strongest side and back in 1994 I thought that this position should be winning, despite the fact that we should consider the white pawn duo as semi-passed. But alas, Black can hold the draw, with very precise play by the way... 46.Kf4 Rd3! Although other moves can draw as well, sooner or later the black rook will have to be placed behind the white pawns. 47.Rh1 Kf7! The text and 47...Kg6! , are the only drawing continuations for Black, as his king should take place in the centre. For example, 47...Rd2? , is losing to 48.Kf5! Rf2+ 49.Ke6 . 48.Ke4 (D)
48...Rd2! The text, which is the most natural and 48...Ra3! , are again the only drawing methods: 49.Rd1 Ke6 50.Kf4 Ra5 50...Kd6? 51.e4 Ra4 52.Kf5 Ke7 53.d5+- 51.e4 Rh5! 51...Ra2? 52.d5+ Kf7 53.Rb1+- 52.d5+ Kd6= . 49.Kd5 White places his king in front of his pawns, so he can assist with their advance. Ra2? This is losing. The black rook should stay in touch with the white pawns, so the drawing moves were 49...Rd3! 50.e4 Re3= and 49...Re2! 50.e4 Re3= , when White cannot improve. 50.Rc1? (D)
Returning the favour! White's idea of covering his king with the rook on the c-file is correct, but he should first play 50.Rh7+! Ke8 50...Kg6 51.Rc7+- 51.Ke6 Ra6+ 52.Kf5+- , cashing the point. 50...Ra5+? The final mistake! 50...f5? 51.Rc7+ Kf6 52.Rc6+ Ke7 53.Ke5 Rf2 54.Rc7+ Kd8 55.Kd6 Rf3 56.Ra7 Ke8 57.Re7+ Kd8 58.d5+- , also loses, but Black could go back to the right track by 50...Re2! 51.Rc7+ Ke8 52.e4 Re3= . Remember: the black rook should keep an eye to the white pawns from behind! 51.Rc5 Ra3 Too late... 51...Ra7 , is still losing, but only if White finds the accurate 52.Kd6! 52.e4? Ke7= 52...Ra6+ 52...Re7 53.Rc7 Rxc7 54.Kxc7 Ke6 55.e4+- 53.Rc6+- . 52.Rc7+! This check clears the house. Wrong is 52.e4? Re3= . 52...Ke8 (D)
A 'better', but still insufficient try is 52...Kg6 53.e4 Ra5+ 54.Rc5 Ra7 55.Rc6 Kf7 56.Kd6 Ra4 57.Rc7+ Kg6 58.Kc5 Ra5+ 59.Kb4 Ra1 60.Re7+- . The defender must (nearly always) stay active. 53.Ke4! This is the difference, as the black king is now stuck on the last rank, allowing White to build the winning set-up. We already know that 53.e4? Re3 , is equal! 53...Rb3 (D)
54.d5! Creating a stronghold for the white rook on e6, from where it will protect its pawns and attack the enemy f6-pawn. Ra3 Or 54...f5+ 55.Kd4! Rb4+ 56.Rc4 Rb2 57.Rc3 Kd7 58.Ke5 Rd2 59.Ra3 Rd1 60.Ra7++- . 55.Kf4 f5 Alternatively, Black could have tried 55...Rb3 , but White will still win: 56.e4! Rb1 57.Kf5+- , but not 57.Ra7? Rf1+= . 56.Rc6 56.Rc6 Black resigned in view of Kf7 57.Re6 Ra5 58.Re5+- . 1–0

Van Riemsdijk, Herman Claudius1–0Pelikan, Jiri
Balcarce tt
1970[Efstratios Grivas]
1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 g6 5.Nc3 Bg7 6.Be3 Nf6 7.Qd2 Ng4 8.Nxc6 dxc6 9.Qxd8+ Kxd8 10.Rd1+ Kc7 11.Bc5 Be5 12.h3 Nf6 13.Bd3 Be6 14.0-0 Rhe8 15.f4 Nd7 16.Be3 Bxc3 17.bxc3 f5 18.exf5 gxf5 19.Bd4 c5 20.Rfe1 Bd5 21.Be5+ Nxe5 22.Rxe5 e6 23.Bxf5 Bxa2 24.Bxh7 Rf8 25.Ra1 Bd5 26.f5 Kd6 27.Rae1 exf5 28.Bxf5 a5 29.Be6 Bxe6 30.Rxe6+ Kd5 (D)
A difficult position to evaluate. White is a pawn-up but what really counts are passed pawns, how much are pushed and activity. 31.R1e4! A strong idea, threatening 32.c4 mate! But there is also something more behind it... b5 32.c4+! This pawn sacrifice 'kills' the black pawns and creates an uncomfortable position for the black king in the centre. bxc4 33.c3! Mate is coming again by 34.R4e5! Rf5! 34.g4! But now the white duo on the kingside is rolling with tempo! Rg5 35.Kf2?! (D)
White should cash the point by combining mating threats and passed pawns. For this, good is 35.Re1! a4 36.Kg2 a3 36...Rag8 37.Ra6+- 37.h4! Rxg4+ 38.Kf3+- . 35...Ra6! Black's best swindle! 36.Rxa6? The text throws away the win. White thought that his passed and connected duo cannot be a match for the doubled black c-pawns... Good is 36.Re8 Rgg6 37.h4 Rgf6+ 37...Rge6 38.R4xe6 Rxe6 39.Rxe6 Kxe6 40.Ke2+- 38.Kg3 Rae6 39.R4xe6 Rxe6 40.Rd8+ Rd6 41.Ra8 Ke4 42.h5+- . 36...Kxe4 37.Rxa5 Kd3 38.Kf3 White is going nowhere by 38.Ra3 , due to Kc2 39.Kg3 Kb2= . 38...Kxc3 39.h4 Rd5 40.h5 Kb4 41.Ra1 c3 42.h6 c2 43.Rc1 (D)
43...Kc3? The most 'natural' move is the losing one! Black could share the point by 43...Rd3+ 44.Kg2 44.Kf4 Rh3 45.g5 Kc3= 44...Rd6! 45.g5 Rg6= , or by 43...Kb3 44.h7 Rd3+ 45.Kg2 Rd2+ 46.Kg3 Rd3+ 47.Kh4 Rd1! 48.h8Q 48.Rxc2? Kxc2 49.h8Q Rh1+-+ 48...Rxc1= . The black rook keeps an eye on White's duo from behind! 44.h7 Rd3+ 45.Kg2 Rd2+ 46.Kg3 Rd3+ 47.Kh4 Rd8 (D)
The rook in front of the pawns is a lost case, but 47...Rd1 , is now losing to 48.h8Q+ . 48.g5 The duo is marching and the end is near... Kb2 49.Rxc2+ Kxc2 50.g6 Rh8 51.Kg4 (D)
51.Kg4 Black resigned: c4 52.g7 Rxh7 53.g8Q Rc7 53...Rh2 54.Qxc4++- 54.Qg6+ Kc3 55.Qf6+ Kc2 56.Qf2+ Kc1 57.Qf4+ . A nice ending, despite its many mistakes. 1–0

Here's a chance for you to test your skills. In the following position, material is equal, and each side has two connected passed pawns on different sides of the board. But the game is not equal, as quality counts! Quality here is proven on how much each duo is advanced. White's duo is already on the 4th rank (and is on the move), while Black's is missing at least three tempos.

White to play

Try playing the white side of the position against the diagram – and take a look at what happened in the actual game from which it was taken.

Barlov, Dragan24951–0Grivas, Efstratios2375
FIDE-Wch Zt
Pucarevo06.03.1986[Efstratios Grivas]
1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.c4 Bg7 4.Nc3 0-0 5.e4 d6 6.Be2 e5 7.dxe5 dxe5 8.Qxd8 Rxd8 9.Bg5 Re8 10.Nd5 Nxd5 11.cxd5 c6 12.Bc4 cxd5 13.Bxd5 h6 14.Be3 Nd7 15.Nd2 Nf6 16.Bb3 Ng4 17.Rc1 Be6 18.Bxe6 Rxe6 19.Rc7 Bf8 20.Ke2 Nxe3 21.fxe3 b5 22.Rf1 Re7 23.Rxe7 Bxe7 24.Rc1 Bd6 25.Rc6 Rd8 26.Nb1 b4 27.Nd2 Rd7 28.Rc8+ Kg7 29.Nc4 Bc7 30.g4 Kf6 31.h4 Bd8 32.g5+ hxg5 33.hxg5+ Ke6 34.Rc6+ Ke7 35.Nxe5 Rb7 36.Rc5 Ke6 37.Nc6 Bb6 38.Rb5 Kd6 39.Nxb4 Re7 40.Rd5+ Ke6 41.Nd3 Rc7 42.Nf4+ Ke7 43.Rd2 Rc1 44.Kd3 Rg1 45.Rg2 Rd1+ 46.Kc2 Rf1 47.Nd5+ Ke6 48.Nxb6 axb6 49.Rd2 Re1 50.Rf2 Rxe3 51.Rf6+ Ke7 52.Rxb6 Rxe4 53.b4 Re5 54.a4 Rxg5 (D)
Material is equal and each side has two connected passed pawns on different sides of the board. But the game is not equal, as quality counts! Quality here is proven on how much each duo is advanced. White's duo is already on the 4th rank (and is on the move), while Black's is missing at least three tempos... 55.a5 Rg1 56.a6 Ra1 57.Rb7+ Ke6 58.b5 f5 59.a7 f4 59...Kd5 60.b6 g5 61.Rb8+- . 60.Rb6+ 60.Rb6+ Resigned: Kd5 61.Ra6+- . 1–0

More examples to follow

Efstratios (30.03.1966) is a highly experienced chess trainer and chess author. He has been awarded by the International Chess Federation (FIDE) the titles of International Chess Grandmaster, FIDE Senior Trainer, International Chess Arbiter and International Chess Organiser.
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