How to Checkmate with King and Rook: Cut Off, Opposition, Check

King and rook against a bare king is always a win. A rook isn't as strong as a queen and can't mate on its own, so it has to team up with the king. The rook cuts the enemy king off on one side, your king walks over to confront it, and whenever the two kings face each other, a rook check sends the enemy king back one rank. Once you've learned it, you won't panic when this ending shows up while you play chess against the computer.

Key position

How to play it

Step 1: cut the king off with the rook, then bring your king

First the rook goes to the 4th rank, and the black king can't cross it. Then the white king walks up and tries to stand face to face with the black king (same file, one square between them; this is called "the opposition"). Now a rook check forces the black king back.

Rh4 keeps the black king on the 5th rank or higher, and the white king walks to e3. When the black king comes back to e5, face to face with the white king, Rg5+ forces it back to the 6th rank.

If the black king avoids facing your king, make a waiting move with the rook along the same rank (like Rg4 above), so the box doesn't get bigger. Sooner or later the black king has to come back or retreat on its own.

Step 2: push the king to the back rank

Keep pushing one rank at a time in the same way until the black king is stuck on the 8th rank. The white king follows it, and the rook guards the 7th rank.

The black king runs toward the h-file, and the white king follows it all the way to g6. When the kings face each other (g6 and g8), Ra8 checks along the back rank. Checkmate.

With the rook far away on a7, the black king can't get near it. The farther your rook is from the enemy king, the safer it is.

Common mistakes

Just like the queen mate, the classic mistake at the end is stalemate. The other one is putting the rook next to the black king without protection.

Mistake: Rg7?? The rook is protected by the king and looks safe, but the black king isn't in check and has no square to go to. Stalemate.

In the same position, Rg8+?? leaves the rook unprotected and the black king takes it, also a draw. The right idea is to play Kf7 first (or another move that leaves the black king a square) and mate with the rook next move.

Practice puzzles

White to move. The kings face each other. Mate in one.

Show answer

1. Ra8# The rook goes to a8 and checks along the back rank. The white king covers f7, g7 and h7, so the black king has nowhere to go.

White to move. A check won't help right now. First you need a waiting move.

Show answer

1. Rh7 For example, slide the rook along the 7th rank to h7 (Re7, Rf7 and Rg7 also work) and let Black move. If the king goes to d8, it faces your king and Rh8 is mate. If it goes to b8, play Kc6 and mate comes soon. Watch out: Rb7?? lets the black king take the rook, and it's a draw.

FAQ

How many moves does the rook mate take?

According to the tablebase, at most 16 moves from the worst starting position. With the cut-off-and-opposition method it usually takes about 20 moves in a real game, well within the 50-move rule.

Why wait until the kings face each other before checking?

When the kings face each other, your king covers the three squares in front of the enemy king, so a rook check can only send it backward. Check at any other time and the king just slips out to the side, and you've wasted moves.

What if the enemy king keeps chasing my rook?

Move the rook to the far end of the same rank or file, as far from the enemy king as possible. As long as it stays on that rank, the cut-off works just the same.

Try it yourself

The opposition you used in the rook mate comes up again and again in pawn endgames. All the endgames are in Chess endgames. To practice it yourself, open free chess and, when you're down to a lone rook, don't stop until you've mated.

Practise in a game