Queen vs Rook

About this endgame

Queen against rook is a win, yet strong players have failed to convert it inside fifty moves, because the rook sticks to its king like a limpet. Black king b8, rook b7, your king c6, queen a5: this is the Philidor position of queen versus rook, with one problem. It is your move, and it only wins with Black to move. Twenty moves to fix that and finish.

What you will learn

• 01 Why the rook glued to its king is so hard to pry off.
• 02 How to pass the move with a queen triangle: two checks and a quiet return.
• 03 The stalemate traps a desperate rook sets.

The technique

With Black to move, every rook move along the b-file or the seventh rank leaves the rook a check away from a fork or skewer, and the king move to the corner does not help either: zugzwang. So reach this exact position with Black to move, which a queen can do with a triangle: a check that pushes the king into the corner, a second check that brings it back, and a quiet return to a5. Three moves, and now Black has to move.

Then the hunt. Once the rook has left its king, every queen move should be a check that also attacks the rook, with your king kept close so the black king has no squares. The one way to lose it is stalemate: a rook that throws itself at your king with checks is hoping you will take it when its king has no moves. Count the black king's squares before you capture.

How to practise it

You play White. The first three moves are the test: pass the move without disturbing your king or loosening the bind; if the pieces are not back where they started, ask for the hint. After that, play checks that fork. Winning the rook ends the drill.

Questions people ask

Is queen versus rook always a win?

Yes, apart from positions where the rook wins the queen at once, but it can take a long time against a defender who keeps the rook next to the king. The Philidor position is the picture you aim for.

What is the Philidor position in queen versus rook?

King and rook huddled together on the edge, the attacking king a knight's move away, the queen covering the squares around them, and the defender to move. Every rook move then loses it.