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Learn · lesson 5 of 8 · Rook endgames

Vančura position

Against the rook pawn the rook attacks from the side and pins the pawn down.

Black to move: Draw

Basic position: Vančura position – White: Kb5, Ra8, a6; Black: Kg7, Rf68a7b6c5d4e3f2g1h
Basic position: Vančura position – White: Kb5, Ra8, a6; Black: Kg7, Rf68a7b6c5d4e3f2g1h

Rook endgames · Rook vs. rook

The position and its key

Against the rook pawn the rook attacks from the side and pins the pawn down.

The verdict

Black to move: Draw

The key

Rook on the side, f6

Practice it In the endgame tree Study it on the analysis board

Vančura position

How to recognize it

  1. Rook and rook pawn vs. rook
  2. The pawn stands on the 6th rank, its rook in front of it on the back rank
  3. The defending rook attacks the pawn from the side, on the same rank
  4. The defending king waits on the 7th rank on the other wing (against the a-pawn on g7 and h7)

Vančura position

In our databases

Games in which exactly this kind of position stood on the board – recognized by material and the places of the pieces, each confirmed by the tablebase. Counted from the stronger side's view.

102games reached it
6 %won by the stronger side
94 %ended in a draw
0 %lost by the stronger side

Often comes from these openings

B07 Pirc Defense 3 B22 Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation 3 E62 King's Indian Defense: Fianchetto Variation 2 C42 Petrov's Defense 2 C18 French Defense: Winawer Variation 2

Examples – the great players first

Position from Garry Kasparov – Vassily Ivanchuk · Tal mem, 1995 – White: Kd5, Ra7, a6; Black: Kg8, Rf68a7b6c5d4e3f2g1h
Draw Garry Kasparov – Vassily Ivanchuk · Tal mem, 1995 · after move 52
Position from Gata Kamsky – Anatoly Karpov · Linares 12th, 1994 – White: Kg2, Rg3; Black: Ke3, Ra1, a38a7b6c5d4e3f2g1h
Draw Gata Kamsky – Anatoly Karpov · Linares 12th, 1994 · after move 62
Position from Anatoly Karpov – Nigel D. Short · Candidates sf1, 1992 – White: Kh3, Rg3; Black: Kd4, Ra2, a38a7b6c5d4e3f2g1h
Draw Anatoly Karpov – Nigel D. Short · Candidates sf1, 1992 · after move 90
Position from Vassily Smyslov – Igor Bondarevsky · URS-ch12, 1940 – White: Ke7, Ra8, a6; Black: Kh7, Rh68a7b6c5d4e3f2g1h
Draw Vassily Smyslov – Igor Bondarevsky · URS-ch12, 1940 · after move 66
Position from A. Grischuk – Hi Nakamura · 11th Tal Mem Rapid 2018 – White: Kh7, Rb7, h6; Black: Kg5, Ra68a7b6c5d4e3f2g1h
Draw A. Grischuk – Hi Nakamura · 11th Tal Mem Rapid 2018 · after move 91
Position from F. Vallejo Pons – F. Bindrich · Bundesliga 2017-18, 2018 – White: Kb7, Rh5, a6; Black: Ka4, Rg68a7b6c5d4e3f2g1h
Draw F. Vallejo Pons – F. Bindrich · Bundesliga 2017-18, 2018 · after move 77

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