Rook and bishop vs rook
Philidor’s position to win, the defences that hold the draw
Rook and bishop against rook, no pawns. Everything turns on one question: is the defending king on the edge, facing the enemy king? If so, the attacker often wins, and one position is a forced win, known since 1749: Philidor’s position. If not, and the defending rook pins the bishop against its king, the draw is almost certain.
“Win” shows Philidor’s position and his method move by move. “Defend” shows the defences that hold. “How to learn it” covers what to memorise, what is enough to understand and the order to practise in. Every move and every figure on this page has been checked with endgame tablebases.
Philidor’s position
His king is on the edge, yours right in front of it, two squares away; your bishop on e5, his rook on the d-file. With White to move, only one move wins: 1.Rc8+. The other 28 moves draw. Against the best defence, mate comes on move 21.
The same position with Black to move is a draw: 1...Re7+ saves it (see “Defend”). So everything depends on whose turn it is.
Philidor’s method, move by move
Two annotated boards: the first five moves, then the rest until the rook is won. At every move Black plays the most stubborn defence.
1. The first five moves
Key points: the check 1.Rc8+, the rook back on the 7th rank, a waiting move (3.Rb7) that forces the black rook off d2, the mating threat 4.Rg7, then 5.Bg3, which covers e1.
2. The bishop returns to e5, the black rook gives itself up
Key points: after 6.Bd6, only one defence lasts more than 4 moves, 6...Re3+, and 7.Be5 blocks the check by returning to e5. The white rook then travels along the 7th rank and ends on h4, threatening Rh8#: the black rook has nothing left but to give itself up for the bishop.
What is left is king and rook against king: the basic rook mate.
If the defence leaves the line
The deviations that hold out longest, with the winning reply. Philidor’s two variations get their own annotated board just below.
- 2...Rd1 (instead of 2...Rd2): 3.Rg7, and you reach the position of the line after 4.Rg7.
- 2...Rd3 or 3...Rd3: Rg7 Rf3, then Bd6 Re3+ and Be5, reaching the position of the continuation after 7.Be5.
- On move 2, his rook leaves the d-file, or his king goes to f8: 3.Rh7, threatening Rh8#, wins in every one of these cases.
- 4...Kf8 (instead of 4...Rf1): Philidor’s first variation, board below.
- 5...Kf8 (instead of 5...Rf3): Philidor’s main line, board below.
- 7...Kf8 (instead of 7...Rf3): 8.Rh7, threatening Rh8#. 7...Rxe5+: 8.Kxe5, and the rook mate remains.
- 8...Kd8 (instead of 8...Kf8): 9.Rb7, threatening Rb8#.
- 10...Kh8 (instead of 10...Kf8): 11.Rf7+.
- 12...Rg3 (instead of 12...Rxe5+): 13.Bxg3.
- In Philidor’s main line, 9...Kg8 (instead of 9...Re1+): 10.Rg4+.
- His rook comes to d6 to check next to your king (...Rd6+, in the first variation and in Philidor’s main line): take it, Kxd6.
First variation: 4...Kf8
His king goes to f8 instead of covering g8 with the rook. Two mating threats follow, and the black rook is lost to a skewer.
Within it: 6...Rg6+
On move 6 of the first variation, the side check 6...Rg6+ holds out as long as 6...Kg8. Only one move wins.
Philidor’s main line: 5...Kf8
His king goes to f8 instead of 5...Rf3. This is the main line of Philidor’s book: the bishop goes to h4, then f6, and returns to e5 to block a check.
Practice: the only winning move
12 positions. Each one comes from a line on this page: Philidor’s position, or a move marked “the only winning move”. Half of them are shown mirrored: the board turned half a turn and the colours reversed (c1 becomes f8, e5 becomes d4), so you play Black with the mirrored moves (Rh8+ becomes Ra1+). In each position only one move wins: find it, then play on until your opponent has only his king left, against the most stubborn defence. “Learn” steps through the solution move by move.