The King and Rook vs a King and Bishop wins

approximately 40% of the time, but you can

increase your percentages by knowing the best
way of securing a mate. How you ask? It's a two
part
answer:

Going for the Win - Attacking

Guidelines
FIRST: Push the king into the corner

that's
the SAME color as his bishop for the WIN. Not
always an easy task but required to improve your
chances
of
winning.

To remember this during the heat of the game

think of the word SWim: S=Same W=Wins

If you're playing on the side with the bishop, push

the king into the corner that's the OPPOSITE color
of the bishop for the DRAW. The king can not be
dislodged by the stronger side and the bishop will
move back & forth along the diagonal.

To remember this think of the word ODD:

O=Opposite D=Draws

I know it's corny, but now you'll have a visual

image to easily remember the difference whether
you're playing from either side.

SECOND: Once you've maneuvered the

king nearer the corner that's the Same Color as his

bishop you want the rook to ATTACK the bishop and
FORK the back rank at the same time. When the
bishop moves away, the rook can successfully
check or mate the king.

Let's watch it in action: Notice that the rook is

positioned to prevent the king from running to the
opposite corner.

Rook vs Bishop Endgame

King in the Corner that's the Same Color as Bishop
1... Kb8The king moves to attack the rook but also to be
next to his bishop if he should move to c8.
2. Kb6Takes the Opposition and Defends the rook
2... Bg4Bishop makes a move along the diagonal
3. Rg7BAM! Rook FORKS the back rank and the bishop
3... Be6Bishop defends the mating square
4. Re7FORKS again
4... Bg4Moves away from his attack
5. Re8+POW! Checks on the back rank
5... Bc8Forced to block the check.

6. Rf8ZUGZWANG! The rook makes a waiting move and

any move black makes will make his position worse.
6... Ka8Since the bishop is pinned to the king the king
must move away from defending him.
7. Rxc8#Mission Accomplished!

J#,.@
The bishop can position himself behind the king to
make it difficult for the rook to fork the bishop &
the back rank. Let's watch how White wins the
bishop:
Rook vs Bishop Endgame
How to Win the Bishop when the Bishop Prevents the
Rook Fork
1. Rg3Attacks the bishop off his defensive square. White
wants the bishop to run along the diagonal so he can
execute the bishop/back rank fork.
1... Be4Black has other ideas and moves only to the e,f
or g files to prevent the rook fork.
(1... Bc6If he instead moves here 2. Rc3The rook attacks
& Skewers the back rank 2... Bd7If the bishop defends the
back rank mate 3. Rb3Simply move over one

file 3... Bc6(3... Ke8If the king decides to move

instead 4. Rb8+Check the king...The bishop blocks his
exit off the back rank 4... Bc8Forced to
block 5. Rxc8+White picks up the bishop for an easy Rook
& King vs King mate )4. Rb8+Be85. Rc8Makes a waiting
move 5... Kg8Forced to move away 6. Rxe8+Picks up the
bishop for another easy ending. 6... Kh7King is forced to
move 7. Rd8Rook makes a waiting move Zugzwang 7... Kh6King is forced to place himself in a
mating position. 8. Rh8#Mission
Accomplished! )2. Re3Bg23. Re2Bf34. Rf2This is the
KEY POSITION! The rook has an X-Ray Attack on the king
through the bishop.
4... Be4When the bishop moves again, sticking with his
plans to only move to the e,f & g-files....
(4... Bc6Of course, if he moves anywhere else along the
diagonal, White will resume his usual attacking
pattern. 5. Rc2Bd76. Rb2Ke87. Rb8+Bc88. Rxc8+)5. Ke5
+BAM! A discovered check and the king picks up the
bishop next.

f
J#,.@

Mikhail Tal demonstrates how it's done in a 1972

championship game in Baku.
Mikhail Tal vs. Valery Zhidkov
URS-ch40 | Baku | 1972 | 1-0
0. c4Nf61. Nf3e62. g3d53. Bg2c54. O-ONc65. cxd5e
xd56. d4Be77. Nc3O-O8. Bg5cxd49. Nxd4h610. Be3
Bg411. Qa4Na512. Rad1Rc813. Nxd5Nxd514. Nf5Rc
415. Qb5Bxf516. Rxd5a617. Qxa5Qxa518. Rxa5Bc8
19. Rd5Be620. Rd2Bb421. Rdd1Rc222. a3Be723. Bd
4b524. e3a525. Be4Rcc826. f4Bc427. Bd3Rfd828. B
f5Bxf129. Bxc8Rxc830. Rxf1f531. Kg2Kf732. Kf3g6
33. Rf2h534. Rd2a435. e4b436. axb4Bxb437. Re2fx
e438. Kxe4a339. bxa3Bxa340. Ra2Bc541. Rc2Re84
2. Be5Be743. Rc7Rd844. Bd4Ke645. Ra7Rb846. Ra6
Kf747. f5gxf548. Kxf5Rb549. Be5Bf850. h3Rc551. h
4Rb552. Rc6Ra553. Rb6Rc554. Ke4Ra555. Rf6Ke75
6. Rg6Kf757. Rf6Ke758. Rf5Ke659. Rg5Rb560. Rg6
Kf761. Ra6Rb462. Kf5Rb563. Ra7Be764. Rc7Ra565.
Rb7Rc566. Ke4Rc667. Bd4Rc468. Kd5Rc169. Be3Rd
170. Ke4Re171. Kf3Ke672. Rb6Kd773. Rb5Bd674. B
f4Rf175. Kg2Bxf476. Kxf1Bxg377. Rxh5Ke678. Kg2
Be179. Kh3Bd280. Kg4Kf681. Rf5Kg682. Rd5Bc183.
Rd6Kg784. h5Be385. Rg6Kh786. Rf6Kg787. Kf5Bd2
88. h6Bxh689. Rg6[[Kh7Tal has maneuvered his
opponent's king near the corner that's the same color as

his bishop.
90. Kf6Be391. Kf7Ba7Zhidkov positions his bishop
behind the king to prevent the rook from forking the
bishop and h-file.
92. Ra6Although the game proceeds on the side of the
board, the principles are the same. Chase the bishop into
an open diagonal.
92... Bb8The bishop wants to stay on the 6th, 7th and
8th ranks.
93. Ra8Bc794. Rc8Bf4Finally, Zhidkov moves onto an
open diagonal.
95. Rc4Tal attacks the bishop and skewers the h-file.
95... Bg5Bishop defends the mating square.
96. Rc3Tal simply moves the rook over for the check and
eventual mate. Zhidkov resigned here but if it continued.
96... Kh697. Rh3+Bh498. Rxh4+Kg599. Re4Kf5100.
Re6A resignable position.

J#,.@

Going for the Draw - Defensive

Guidelines
First: When left with a position where you're
playing with a bishop against a rook, immediately
maneuver your king to the nearest corner that's
the Opposite Color of your bishop. Your SOLE AIM
is to Draw the game.

Second: Have

your bishop make most of

the moves along the diagonal, keeping a significant
distance from your opponent's king and blocking
checks when necessary.

Let's watch it in action:

Rook vs Bishop Endgame

King Sheltered in Corner of Opposite Color of Bishop
1. Re1+If the rook checks on the back rank
1... Bb1The bishop is forced to block the check.
2. Re2The rook is forced to move off the back rank to
avoid a stalemate
(2. Rg1If he makes a waiting
move...STALEMATE! )2... Bg6Bishop moves along the
diagonal
3. Kb3Bf54. Ra2+If the rook checks
4... Kb1The king simply moves off the file
5. Rf2In this situation - where the king occupies the
bishop's blocking square and the rook attacks the bishop,

threatening to mate next...Do the following

5... Be6+BAM! Check the king
6. Kc3Forced to move
6... Ka1The king moves back to his defensive corner.
7. Rf1+IF he checks him again
7... Ka2Moves out of the corner
8. Re1Bf79. Re2+Ka110. Rc2Bg611. Rc1+Bb112. Rg
1Ka213. Rg2+Ka114. Kb3Bf515. Ra2+Kb116. Rf2Be
6+17. Ka3With best play this position is a DRAW.

J#,.@
If the opponent has an advanced pawn on the hfile, the bishop MUST defend the h7 square to
Draw. BLack will LOSE if the bishop continues to
block on the g8 square because the h-pawn will
eventually be pushed to h7, taking away that
option.
E. Lequesne vs. J. Berger
Rook vs Bishop Endgame with a Rook Pawn | 1-0
Without the h5-pawn, both ...Kg8 & ...Bc4 lead to a draw.
However, with the pawn on the h-file it becomes more
important for the bishop to cotnrol the h7 square and not

retreat to ...Bc4 to block on the g8 square. Let's watch

both variations...
1... Kg8This move allows the bishop to control the h7
square
(1... Bc4If the bishop moves to c4 to block on the g8
square Black loses...Let's watch 2. Ra8+Bg83. Kg5King
moves off the h-file to free his pawn 3... Kg7Only legal
move for
black 4. Ra7+(4. h6+Kh85. Rd8Kh76. Rd7+Kh87. Kg6Bb3
8. h7POW! Now the bishop can no longer retreat to
g8 8... Bc2+9. Kh6Black's king is completely LockedIn 9... Bxh7Taking the pawn is the best move but it only
delays the
inevitable 10. Rxh7+Kg811. Kg6Kf812. Kf6Kg813. Rh1Kf8
14. Rh8#)4... Kh85. Kg6Bd56. Rh7+Kg87. Re7Kh88. h6Ba
29. h7WHAM! The bishop loses his ability to block on the
g8 square! 9... Bb1+Checks the king 10. Kh6NOW the
Black king has no legal moves out of the
corner. 10... Bg6The bishop could defend the mating
square. White's king can't take the bishop because it
would lead to a Stalemate. 11. Rd7Simply moves
over 11... Bf7The bishop could again entice the rook to
capture it, leading to a stalemate. 12. Rd8+Nothing
doing! You're poisonous! Check 12... Be8Forced to
block 13. Rxe8#MATE! )2. Rg7+Kf83. Rg4Bc2The
bishop prevents the king from sliding over the g6 to free

his pawn.
4. Rc4Bb15. Rf4+Kg8This position will DRAW.

f
J#,.@
It's easy to read an article and then forget how to
make the moves when you need them in a game.
You'll find the above positions setup as a puzzle
from both sides to practice your Rook vs Bishop
Endgames. First on the rook's side with the king in
the Swimmingly Winning Corner, then on the
bishop's side with the king in the Oddly Drawing
Corner. Refer to the above positions if needed,
then rinse and repeat until you can recall the
moves
by
analyzing
the
position.

King in Same Colored Corner as Bishop Mate in 6

Rook's waiting move is on f8 in this example

White to Move

g:(
Capture the Bishop

White to Move

g:(
King in the Opposite Colored Corner of his
bishop

Black to Move

g:(
King in Opposite Colored Corner of Bishop
vs Rook & Advanced h-file Pawn

Black to Move

g:(
The king and bishop play for a DRAW while the king
and rook play for the WIN. With the above
information added to your endgame knowledge
you'll be prepared to play on either side. Now go
have
a
Swimmingly
Odd
Day!

I hope this has shed some light on Playing King &

Rook vs King & Bishop Endgames. Look for the
next in the series and feel free to send a friend
request to be notified of future articles. Until
then....Cheers