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.

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.

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.

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.