White to move · 2 moves · Rating 573
Find the best move, then follow the winning continuation.
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47.Rf8+ Ke5 48.Rxf3
Ponderchess / Puzzles
Rook endgame puzzles
97 rook endgame puzzles from real games, rated 573 to 2756. Here are 18, from easiest to hardest.
Rook endgames are the most common endgames in chess, and these puzzles come straight from them. Active rooks, cut-off kings and passed pawns decide the result.
The ideas here connect to the classic positions every player should know, such as the Lucena and Philidor positions, and to practical rules like keeping your rook behind passed pawns.
How to solve them: Look for checks that drive the enemy king away from your pawn, and for rook moves that cut it off along a rank or file.
18 rook endgame puzzles to solve
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Black to move · 1 move · Rating 694
Find checkmate in 1 move.
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44...Rf4#
Black to move · 2 moves · Rating 870
Find checkmate in 2 moves.
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34...g5+ 35.Kh5 Rh3#
White to move · 3 moves · Rating 979
Find the best move, then follow the winning continuation.
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46.Rb4+ Kg5 47.f4+ Kh4 48.fxe5
White to move · 1 move · Rating 1326
Find checkmate in 1 move.
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50.Rb8#
Black to move · 3 moves · Rating 1425
Find the best move, then follow the winning continuation.
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52...Rg3 53.Rxg3 Kxg3 54.c6 g1=Q
White to move · 2 moves · Rating 1491
Find the best move, then follow the winning continuation.
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52.a6 Re2 53.a7
Black to move · 4 moves · Rating 1595
Find the best move, then follow the winning continuation.
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28...Rxe2 29.Kxe2 Kb6 30.Kf3 Ka5 31.a3 Ka4
White to move · 3 moves · Rating 1678
Find the best move, then follow the winning continuation.
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55.Rxf5 Kxf5 56.Ke2 f1=Q+ 57.Kxf1
White to move · 2 moves · Rating 1826
Find the best move, then follow the winning continuation.
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48.g7 Rb8 49.Ra3+
Black to move · 2 moves · Rating 1946
Find the best move, then follow the winning continuation.
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43...Rg4+ 44.Kf3 Rxg6
Black to move · 3 moves · Rating 2017
Find the best move, then follow the winning continuation.
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63...Rxf5 64.gxf5 Kf6 65.Kh5 Kxf5
White to move · 2 moves · Rating 2188
Find the best move, then follow the winning continuation.
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39.Rg6 Rd4 40.Rxg7
White to move · 3 moves · Rating 2295
Find the best move, then follow the winning continuation.
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41.a7 Rc8 42.Ka6 Kd7 43.b6
Black to move · 5 moves · Rating 2379
Find the best move, then follow the winning continuation.
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46...Rb2+ 47.Kf1 Kg3 48.Rd6 Rb1+ 49.Ke2 f3+ 50.Ke3 Re1+
Black to move · 4 moves · Rating 2491
Find the best move, then follow the winning continuation.
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52...Kxf2 53.Kc5 e3 54.Rxd3 e2 55.Rd7 e1=Q
Black to move · 3 moves · Rating 2536
Find the best move, then follow the winning continuation.
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45...Rb2 46.c7 Kxg3 47.Ra3 Rb1+
White to move · 4 moves · Rating 2756
Find the best move, then follow the winning continuation.
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47.h7 c1=Q 48.h8=Q+ Kd3 49.Qh7+ Ke2 50.Re5+
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Positions from the open Lichess puzzle database (CC0).