The Queen against the Rook is a kind of endgame in a chess game , divided into two categories: without pawns and with pawns on the side of the rook . In the first case, a draw is possible only with a mistake by the strongest side. In the second, the option of building a weak side of an impregnable fortress , reducing the game to a draw, is possible.
Content
Option without pawns
It is formally an elementary ending, where the queen's advantage over the rook is enough to win. It is achieved by pushing the opponent’s king to the edge of the board and creating a zugzwang position in order to force the rook to move away from the king and then win it through a double blow. However, in practice, even grandmasters fail to realize the gain without accurate theoretical knowledge .
A draw is possible with the help of the eternal check or stalemate only with the mistakes of the strongest side, as well as by the rule of 50 moves .
It is also possible to lose the strongest side if the queen yawns and sets up far behind her king horizontally or vertically, when the rook of the weakest side declares a check and takes the queen the next move.
Depending on the starting position, this endgame is won in a different number of moves (before the mat, or winning the rook).
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The worst position for the strongest
In this position, when the king of the strongest side is squeezed by enemy pieces on the edge of the board far from his queen, winning is possible in 32 moves with a strong game on both sides. Accordingly, Black needs only 18 extra moves to claim a draw.
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The location of both defending pieces in the center of the board
In this position, when both pieces of the weakest side are connected in the center of the board, White needs 28-30 moves to win.
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Three rows for protection
When the strongest side controls four rows, and the weakest only three, winning is achieved in 24 moves with the strongest game of both players.
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Black King near the corner
When the king of the weakest side is already close to one of the corners, for the mat, or to win the rook, White needs about 15 moves.
For this endgame, there are four defense strategies, the counter technique for which the white player must know clearly: close defense, long defense, defense of the third line and harassment.
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Close protection
If Black uses close protection techniques, their king and rook do not diverge further than the distance of the knight’s move from each other, and often touch each other, that is, the king defends his rook.
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Long range protection
Conversely, with long-range defense, the black king and rook are on opposite edges of the board. Despite the seeming insecurity, such protection also works well.
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Third line protection
In this case, the black king, located on the edge of the board, is separated from the rook by one line, while the rook, moving along its third line, does not allow the white king to cross it in order to take part in the matting of the black colleague. Until the beginning of the XXI century, no one knew how to crack the defense in the third row, but now after the appearance of Nunn’s research in 2002, every grandmaster knows this. This position is won in 19 moves with the strongest game on both sides.
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Harassment ("viscous", annoying defense)
A characteristic of such protection is that the rook takes a position diagonally from the white king, making it difficult for the queen to attack her and create a fork. Harassment is the most poorly studied defense and is perfect for the attacking side to lose several precious moves, so you must be able to play it for both white and black.
The strongest side, on the contrary, should clearly know the methods of counteraction and hacking of each of the strategies.
The theory of drawing this endgame describes several positions, each of which has its own winning technique. Since the queen and the rook are long-range pieces, the positions are classified by the starting mutual arrangement of short-range kings. The analysis of positions (as well as the opening / description of them by outstanding chess players of the world) goes from simple to complex, by analogy with the methodology for studying another famous endgame - a mat with an elephant and a horse .
Filidor Position
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When Black moves in the old position of F. A. Filidor ( 1777 ), he finds himself in a zugzwang: any rook move leads to its loss. For example,
- 1. ... Rh7 2.Fe5 + Kra8 3.Fa1 + Kbb 4.Fb1 + or
- 1. ... Rb1 2.Fd8 + Kra7 3.Fd4 + Kra8 4.Fh8 + Kra7 5.Fh7 +
In White's move, they “convey” his order in black with the following maneuver:
- 1. Fe5 + Kra7 (a8) 2.Fa1 + Kb8 3.Fa5 and so on.
Euwe Position
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The next position possible in this endgame was explored by Max Euwe . Black's move. Black has several moves for the retreat by the rook, but not a single move of the king:
- 1. ... Rd8 2. Qg7 + Kre8 3. Kre6 any black move 4. Qg8 # or
- 1. ... Rd2 2. Qg5 + with a rook win or
- 1. ... Rd3 2. Qh7 + with a rook win or
- 1. ... Rc7 2. Qg7 + Kd8 3. Qf8 + Kd7 4. Kd5 ... with playing the position to the vertical to the left: 10. ... La1 11. Qd5 + (with the possibility of the next move to Qd4 or Qe5 and winning the rook La1). In case 11. ... Kc8 12. Qg8 + Kd7 13. Qg7 + - fork, the rook is won.
- 1. ... Rd1 2. Qg5 + Kf8 3. Qf4 + Ke7 The only retreat. All the others end with a fork. 4. Qh4 + with the control of the e1 field, which is now inaccessible to the black rook for the check. 4. ... Kf8. 5. Kre6 , at any next move Black takes a rook or follows a checkmate.
- 1. ... Rd2 2. Qg5 + with a rook win or
Rosetta
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Rosetta is a position where all four figures participating in this endgame are arranged in a circle with an interval in the course of the horse. Rosettes differ from each other in a different arrangement of pieces (a total of 6 types of rosettes) and a place on a chessboard (in the center of the board, closer to the edge, on the very edge, in the corner).
Rosettes, where kings are located opposite each other, are called opposition rosettes, the rest are non-opposition. Depending on the type of rosette and turn order, there is a different recipe for winning a specific rosetta, and a different recipe for the most successful counteraction when playing for black.
Creating a rosette in the center of the board is always desirable for the weakest side, as it is convenient for defense. On the contrary, white should avoid the rosette in the center whenever possible, since its destruction takes moves. However, in some cases, on the edge of the board, creating a rosette is beneficial to the attacking side, as it drives black into the zugzwang.
For the defending side, there is a single game strategy after creating a rosette. Conversely, for white, depending on the type of rosette, there are six winning strategies.
Defense strategy: always attack the white king with a rook during his move, and in the next move reunite his pieces closer to the center of the board. If it is impossible to make a check, you should attack the queen of the opponent, provided that the rook is protected by the black king.
Trapezoid
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The position "Trapezoid" is characterized by the fact that the king of the weakest side and the rook are in contact horizontally (or vertically). The strongest side can win it in 22 moves. If the game is correct, checkmate follows, winning the rook, or the Trapezoid comes down to one of the rosettes, or Euwe’s position.
Spear position
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This position is characteristic in that for the strongest side it is not necessary to reduce it to the "position of the Filidor" in order to win. When played correctly, White mates black after 16 moves (as estimated by Stockfish 8).
At White’s first move, the game ends instantly: 1. ... Qa4 #
At the first move of Black: 1. ... Rh4 is the only move. Otherwise, White either wins the rook or checkmates.
2. Qd3 + Kpa5 3. Qd2 +
Here Black has 2 main moves: 3. ... Kra4 or 3. ... Kra6 .
In case of 3. ... Kb5? should fork 4. Qg5 +. And if 3. ... Rb4 ?, then 4. Kpc6 and White checkmate in 1-2 moves.
If 3. ... Kp4 , then 4. Kp6! . It is doubtful 4. Krs6 ?! because of Rs4 +, White loses a lot of moves.
Then the king can move to a3 or, more stubbornly, to b3 . In the case of any rook move, Black gets checkmated or loses the rook on the fork. For example: 4. ... Rs4 5. Qa2 + Kb4 6. Qb2 + Kra4 7. Qb5 + and the rook is lost, or 4. ... Rb4 + 5. Krs5 Rb3 6. Qa2 + La3 7. Qs4 + Kra5 8. Qb5 #.
After the king leaves, White needs to get a position in which the queen will check from the field f7 to the king on b3 . In this case, the black king will be forced to retreat by a4, after which white will begin the final stage of winning. For example: 4. ... Kb3 (4. ... Kra3 5. Fe3 + Kra4 6. Fe8 + and 7. Qf7 +) 5. Qd5 + Krs3 6. Fe5 + Krs2 7. Qf5 + Kb3 (7. ... Kd1? 8. Qf1 + and 9. Qf2 + with a plug ) 8. Qf7 + Kra4 .
Then White proceeds to the final stage: 9. Kp5 Kra3 10. Qf3 + Kra4 11. Qf2! Rh5 + 12. Krs4 Kra3 13. Qf3 + and Black loses the rook.
If 3. ... Kra6 then 4. Kd6! and the rook has no fields for checkers, and any of its moves ends with a fork in several moves or a mat for the black king. For example: 4. ... La4 5. Qd3 + Kra7 6. Krs7 and Black get checkmate in 2-3 moves. It is important to keep in mind that White has Krs6 on occasion. For example: 4. ... Rh1 5. Krs6! and Black gets mate after 4 moves. 4. ... Kb7 5. Qg2 + Kb8 (5. ... Kg6? 6. Qe2 + and Black moves the rook on the fork with the next move; 5. ... Kc8 6. Qc6 + Kb8 7. Qe8 + and 8. Qe7 + with the fork) 6. Qg3! and black either loses the rook or gets mate. For example 6. ... Rh6 + 7. Kd5 + Kra8 8. Qg8 + and 9. Qg7 + with a fork, or 6. ... Rh1 7. Krs6 + Kra8 8. Qg8 + Kra7 9. Qf7 + and the next move.
The “lance position” can be extended to the entire board by raising and lowering it. For example, if you lower the “spear position” 1 horizontal down, the idea of winning will not differ much from the one described above and will take the same number of moves. Further, the lower we lower this position, the faster it will be won. Ideas for winning will change, but they will be associated with simple ideas such as getting a “Filidor position” or winning a rook on a fork, or getting a position from the “final stage” described above, or setting a mat. And all these ideas are realized in a couple of moves.
If the “spear position” is raised to the very top, then it will be won a little differently - we do not need to get a position where the queen will check from the field f8 to the king on b4 . Here, after the king retreats to b4 (if the king moves to a4 , White immediately gives the fork), White can achieve the fork or win the rook in another way with one queen for several checkers.
Seventh vertical
Cave Traps
Corner Protection
Option with pawns on the rook side
The realization of the advantage is complicated due to the ability of the opponent to build a fortress . The way to win, as a rule, is to constrain the opponent’s figures and create a zugzwang position. A draw is possible in positions when the fortress erected by the opponent is impregnable, or during the blockade of the king of the strongest side (see Positional draw ).
Literature
- Chess endings. Queens / Ed. Yu. L. Averbakh . - 2nd ed. - M .: Physical education and sport , 1982. - T. 3. - S. 144-311. - 336 p. - ( Chess endings ). - 100,000 copies.
- Chess: Encyclopedic Dictionary / Ch. ed. A.E. Karpov . - M .: Soviet Encyclopedia , 1990. - S. 425. - 624 p. - 100,000 copies. - ISBN 5-85270-005-3 .