Chess Endgames - Defensive Setups

Defensive Setups
Build An Unbreakable Wall

Defensive Setups

Saving half a point is a skill of its own. These two topics show setups that hold against a side with more material: the Vancura defense in rook endings, and a fortress with bishops of opposite colors. Both depend on putting the right piece on the right square and keeping it there.

Vancura Defense

Verdict Draw. The black rook attacks the pawn from the side.

Goal

Hold rook and a-pawn against rook, when the pawn stands on the sixth rank, by keeping the rook on that rank and the king on the far side.

Idea

The white pawn stands on a6, and the black rook on c6 attacks it from the side along the sixth rank. The black king stays on the far side of the board, away from the white king. If the white rook leaves the pawn, ... ♜xa6 wins it. If the pawn advances to a7, the rook goes behind it with ... ♜a8, and in the end the rook is given for the pawn and only the kings remain.

Technique

  1. Put the rook on the sixth rank, beside the pawn, so that it attacks the pawn from the side.
  2. Keep the king on the far side from the pawn, away from the white king.
  3. When the pawn advances to the seventh rank, go behind it with the rook: ... ♜a8.
  4. When the pawn can no longer be held, trade your rook for it: ... ♜xa7.

1. ♔b5 ♚c7 2. ♖a2 ♜b6+ 3. ♔c5 ♜b8 4. a7 ♜a8 5. ♖a3 ♚b7 6. ♔d6 ♜xa7 7. ♖xa7+ ♚xa7

Typical mistake

Putting the rook on the wrong rank. With the rook on c5, one rank lower, the pawn is no longer attacked, and 1. a7 queens.

Exercise

White to move. Win or draw? (The black rook has moved to the fifth rank.)

Solution

White wins. The rook no longer attacks the pawn, so a7 cannot be stopped.

1. a7 ♚e7 2. a8=♕ ♜f5 3. ♕e4+ ♚f6 4. ♖b5 ♜xb5 5. ♔xb5

After 1. a7 ... ♚e7 the pawn queens with a8=♕, and after the rooks are traded the queen wins.

Practice

Copy the position into any board or engine to practice it:


3k4/8/P1r5/8/K7/8/1R6/8 w - - 0 1

Fortresses

Verdict Draw. The bishop controls the pawn's path.

Goal

Build a position where the stronger side cannot make progress. Here the defender's bishop controls the square in front of the pawn.

Idea

The white pawn on g6 is protected by the bishop, but its path goes through g7, a dark square, and the black bishop is dark-squared. The black king attacks the pawn and the bishop controls g7, so the pawn cannot advance. When it does, g7 is met by ... ♝xg7 and the position is a draw. With bishops of the same color, White would win.

Technique

  1. Look for a piece of the other color than the enemy bishop that controls the pawn's path.
  2. Keep the king next to the pawn, where it attacks it.
  3. Shuffle the bishop along its diagonal and keep control of the key square: ... ♝e5.
  4. If the pawn advances, trade your bishop for it: ... ♝xg7.

1. ♔g8 ♝e5 2. ♔f7 ♚g5 3. ♗f5 ♚h6 4. g7 ♝xg7 5. ♔e6 ♝d4 6. ♔d7 ♚g5 7. ♗b1 ♝h8

Typical mistake

Putting the bishop on the wrong color. With the bishop on c8, a light square, the pawn runs: 1. g7 and White wins.

Exercise

White to move. Win or draw? (Black's bishop is on c8.)

Solution

White wins. The bishop is light-squared, so it cannot control g7.

1. g7 ♝e6 2. ♗h7 ♚g5 3. ♗g8 ♝f5 4. ♗d5 ♚f4 5. g8=♕ ♚e5 6. ♕g5 ♚xd5 7. ♕xf5+

g7 cannot be stopped, the pawn queens with g8=♕, and the queen wins the bishop.

Practice

Copy the position into any board or engine to practice it:


1b5K/8/6P1/7k/8/8/8/1B6 w - - 0 1

Go to the top of the page