Queen vs Rook
EndgameCheckmate TechniqueGoal: checkmate
The position
| ♚ | |||||||
| ♜ | |||||||
| ♔ | ♕ |
White to move and win by checkmate. This is a technique you need to know cold: once you have the method, it works every time.
The idea
A queen beats a rook in theory, but it takes technique and can take many moves. The queen wins by forks and skewers: attacking the king and the rook at the same time so the rook is lost.
How to do it
- Look for forks: a queen check that also attacks the rook wins the rook.
- Keep the enemy rook away from its king, so that it has no protection.
- Drive the enemy king to the edge with checks, so that forks become possible.
- Win the rook, then use the queen and king to win the remaining ending.
Common mistakes
- Letting the rook protect its king and make a fortress.
- Giving checks without a plan.
- Forgetting the 50-move rule.
Remember
Fork the king and rook. Without the rook the enemy king cannot hold out.