Chess Endgame Study: The Lucena Position

[kingsquasher]

j robi is dead :(

[RicercarUPSB]

What if after 1. Ke6 Kg5?

[MachiiUnin]

Thank you so much for having videos on the endgame. My endgame was terrible and now I finally know why and feel confident in my endgame play.

[firestartertwistedfi]

great vid - what would you say are the most important things to learn as a player starting to study endgames?

[jsobiranski]

At 9:00, the position is still a win if the king is on e8, e7, or e6.

[BigGus87]

at 841 rook can go to b8

[art0van0derlay]

Great videos. I find it difficult to learn this stuff from books because it requires you to either visualise far ahead or play the moves through on a board. This really helps me

[26161210]

very nice videos and i really like them!!!

[DaniMircea]

Just waching your videos I manage to draw your Little ChessPartener from jrobic.com with the default settings having a piece (a rook) down (playing as white, black just check me for 50 moves). So, thank you for your videos!

[Obex99]

very well explained, thank you very much!

[Tutterkop]

I don't understand why white loses in the variation of 7:23. If white moves his rook C2, H2, H8, B8 what can black do to stop the promotion or the rook-pion exchange?.

[shinyninetales999]

at 7:23, what if white sacrifices it's rook playing Rc1, can't white promote

[alinusD]

at 7:23 , white can draw by playing Rd1

[shinyninetales999]

@alinusD white wants to win, black wants the draw

[Odhinn222]

Very nice elucidation on the Lucena; thanks so much. As I age, I have to relearn it periodically (like when I had to learn to figure square roots every year--back when they taught that and the Earth was cooling.

[dashwood123]

Having the king in front of the pawn does not always win, it depends on how far advanced the pawn is ;)

[magicpillow25]

man u sure love chess so do i

[abhinayan27]

wats your chess site plz??

[tatomuck18]

how can black win this game???

[AwesomeSeanable]

Promotion is like birth, right guys, neveeer wanted that to happen. ;)

[chesslearner85]

Thanks for the video. Especially, thanks for the practice exercises on your website. I hope you will add more. And, by the way, I agree with one of the posts about your voice - it's tone is a like a music for one's ear - I can tell that you care for learning and teaching. Thanks!

[jlsirera]

Great video. Thank you for share it.

I like the tools you use for decorate with arrows and simbols the squares. What tools are you use?

[TheCord73]

In the final position if the black rook starts on the e-file can black draw?

[watchdog08]

I still think Rh8 is a winning move for white at 8:08. after Rb7+ Kc6 then Rb1. If Re1+ then Rb1 blocking check and threatening blacks rook.  After black moves his rook white Rc1+ black moves his King and white Kb1 opening the promotion square.

[orlandorjames]

LOL. Rook queen combo decimates black 6:37. Decimate was so unnecessary it's like salt to an open wound

[md65000]

Seems like you'd have a pretty easy win just by shuttling the rook a2-a7-c7. There the rook sheilds the king from check while the king protects the rook and the pawn from capture.

[hrivethead]

Great videos. Love your teaching style. Do you think you can post some chess puzzles, too? I've found these to be very helpful in exploring important idea. Thanks again.

[kevinhdo90]

Nice video...clever way to create a draw...

[erikzarikian]

At 8:00, isn't R-H8 a winning position? The next move there is no stopping R-B8

[jrobichess]

Unfortunately the white king wouldn't be able to vacate the promotion square. For example, Rh8, Rd1, Rb8, Re1, Rb7, Kc6. If the king tries to make room for the promotion, it's checkmated.

[dragonheadofthewest]

@jrobichess just because i feel like smart ass today.. actually if you set the pawn to a another file you cant set up the position, so of course it wont work lol

[perricida]

Great videos. I have learned so much. Thanks!

[halette20001]

Great video! Thanks.

[ninjablack95]

thank u so much for having these vids i am 13 i have the chess rating of a 1003 but i havent been playing ranked games much i have been studying i bought some books but i just finished them and i saw ur sight it is awsome i am trying to learn as much as i can about chess ur videos have made me a better player than u for having these videos my study about the game is made easier now

[jrobichess]

That's great to hear! I hope you enjoy the game for a long time to come and keep me posted on how things go! Thanks for checking out the vid!

[Dmenhunter]

lol yeah these videos are very helpfull also lol ur voice is like a perfect voice for teaching over the internet haha awsome keep doing what ur doing

[jrobichess]

Thanks Dmenhunter!

[fezzjr]

at 8:30 why cant white swing the rook down to H8 then to B2?

[jrobichess]

It doesn't work out because the white king won't be able to move off of A8 to allow the pawn to queen. If the white king tries to do it it will get checkmated. For example, Rh8, Rd1, Rb8, Re1, Rb7, Kc6. If the king tries to make room for the promotion, it's checkmated. White's only move is another rook move, and it's a drawn position. Thanks for checking out the vid!

[fezzjr]

ty... was curious about that

[bloodcumulus]

amazing

[jrobichess]

Thanks for checking it out Blood!

[komatoran]

I'm improving a lot watching your videos. I'm was a decent player to begin with, but now I'm getting even better. Thanks!

[jrobichess]

Glad to hear that komatoran! Thanks for checking it out!

[PopeRulez]

Great work! I loved it!

[jrobichess]

Thanks!

[geekorthodox9]

what software do you use for these videos?

i enjoy learning (?) what you teach.

[Muvlonion]

i think it's rybka

[jrobichess]

Aquarium with Rybka 3 - I have a video on it if you would like to check it out.

[Mrius86]

Thanks for all the great videos!

They have definitely made me a much stronger chess player (I learned the game 3 months ago :D)!

Keep up the good work!

[Kaysakado]

At 8:00, couldn't the Rook move to h7 and check? After that, the rook could move to the 8th file and white could try to trade rooks, right?

[jrobichess]

Unfortunately that doesn't work because the black king just goes back to its position on C7.  Thanks for checking out the vid!

[GoldSamuraiArmor]

This video is amazing. I appreciate all the detailed scenarios they are very helpful. Towards the end I was able to catch on, in terms of how to position thanks to your good narration.

[EtherealFusion]

Another great and easy-to-follow video from jrobichess. More please!

[syddalboy]

at the start of the lucena position. why not Re2 then whatever the opponent does Re7 the what ever the opponent does again Ke8 and afterwards promotion

[jrobichess]

Re2 followed by Re7 can also get a win for white. Play can deviate after that in a few directions according to Rybka, so it's not quite as neat and tidy as the lucena method but it's still winning. Thanks for sharing the line idea!

[syddalboy]

at 2.53 is it compulsary to check?

[jrobichess]

Yes otherwise white promotes and then black will have to check, at which point white can move to the square defending the queen. Rook would have to capture at that point. Thanks for checking out the vid!

[cleo210]

Good job!Thank you and greetings from germany!

[jrobichess]

Hello back cleo210! Thanks for checking out the vid!

[emosruntheworld]

What if White's rook got to b2?, wouldn't you win?

[jrobichess]

Unfortunately no, the king's close proximity to the white king helps to keep it hemmed in nice and tight unless the white king wants to get checkmated. For example:

1. Rc2+ Kd7 2. Rh2 Kc7 3. Rh8 Rd1 4. Rb8 Rd2 5. Rb7+ Kc6 6. Rb3 Rd8+ 7. Rb8 Rd7

[misenabyme]

Your videos have gotten much better

two knights tango please!!

[jrobichess]

Thanks misenabyme - I am planning on revisiting some earlier videos to update them.

[HappyApostate]

You explain your themes very clearly but wish the board was square. Maybe it's my monitor but I get this rectangular board. Very disconcerting.

[keyblade134679]

hey, i got a question abour rybka 3.

Whenever i save a game into my database, the game is labaled game 1, 2 or 3 depending on the order you save your game. I wanted to change the title so the game is labeled something else instead of Game 1 ect..., so i click rename and renamed it, but the title always changes back to Game 1.

So how do you change it permanently?

[numbcore]

I didnt know christopher walken played chess :P

[Baquebogogo]

Lucena Position, the key of Rook endgames.

This kind of endgame was covered by Philidor as well, but the first credit must be given to Lucena.

The only problem is to reach the position. If you succeed, the rest is easy.

Congrat. for your post.

Greetings!

[GooNyBrothersInc]

chess is deceptively racist....hmmm

[Nimzomyth68]

Good vid about an important position. Would you be willing to do one on the Vancura position at some point?

[BrooklynNY1992]

So there is abosoluetly no way that black stop the white pawn promotion and save his rook?

[drodope]

obvisous

[Chick6517]

How do you do that? Lol, can someone teach me because I would love to be able to do that. haha! Nice Vid..

[RnathanF]

Great video, as usual.

Question - do you think you could balance the audio better? The intro music is way louder than the rest of the video.

[canausitalian]

How does some one sound Canadian? and excellent video, first game i played after watching this i ended up in the same position. I won:P

[jrobichess]

That's awesome C! Thanks for commenting and checking out the vid!

[canifz]

hey jrob i would like to challenge u in chess cuz u seem to be a worth opponent. in fact u are prob way better then me but i would like to paly with u once

[lilondra]

Jrobi can you make some morphy videos pls :x

nice video btw

[jrobichess]

Thanks for checking it out lilondra! One of my GM tactics vids is about Morphy, and I will be doing some more on him. Amazing chess player.

[cubestack]

Great explanation of the technique!

[jrobichess]

Thanks for checking it out cubestack!

[dietsnapple89]

you sound canadian

[7534210]

i think he is. he says out canadian

[charliebaird13]

Right on bro

[andsanp]

great video!

[jrobichess]

Thanks andsanp!

[eriberto176]

At 8:26 can't rook just go to H8 and try to go to B7 for win no matter what...

[jrobichess]

Unfortunately no, the king's close proximity to the white king helps to keep it hemmed in nice and tight unless the white king wants to get checkmated. For example:

1. Rc2+ Kd7 2. Rh2 Kc7 3. Rh8 Rd1 4. Rb8 Rd2 5. Rb7+ Kc6 6. Rb3 Rd8+ 7. Rb8 Rd7

Thanks for checking out the vid!

[Clearerer]

Basic endgame position that all players should know, another excellent video sir!

[jrobichess]

Totally agree Clearerer - thanks for checking out the vid!

[topshonuff]

great video.. thanks..

[jrobichess]

Thanks topshonuff!

[thismakesense]

I love your videos

[jrobichess]

Thanks TMS!

[0147896325rubikcube]

Well done Jrobi. I had a question about Rh8 and then Rb8, but then I remembered black could just move his rook and use his king to stop the white king from escaping a8.

[jrobichess]

Yeah being so close to work with the rook definitely forces the draw. Thanks for posting the comment and checking out the vid!

[thunderhead27]

Great, but if i was the black player, i'll just resign once i saw that come into play. ether way im going to lose unless my opponent messes up big time

[jrobichess]

I would probably make my opponent show me he knows how to win with the position - you never know. =)

Thanks for checking out the vid Thunder!

[hayeder]

thanks jorbi, what engine do you use? rybka? and what program have you used to get the board and annotations?

thanks again

[jrobichess]

It's Rybka with Aquarium. I have a video on it on my channel. Thanks for checking out the vid!

[Proph3tTroyer]

on the A file demo, when the rook is on h2, why does it not move to h8, followed by b8? if the black rook moves away from the b file than the white rook can land a check and then white is clear to promote.

the checkmate threat doesn't matter because after rook h8, the black rook can land the check, but will only be taken by the white rook and its basically black resigning.

[jrobichess]

Looks tempting but with the black king so close the white king just can't get out:

1. Rc2+ Kd7 2. Rh2 Kc7 3. Rh8 Rd1 4. Rb8 Rd2 5. Rb7+ Kc6 6. Rb3 Rd8+ 7. Rb8 Rd7

[Proph3tTroyer]

I see. ty

[daeilmeglio]

8:12 what happens if white rook goes to b8?

good job jrob

[jrobichess]

If the rook gets to B8 with the black king so close, the black king and rook can work together to keep the white king hemmed in. For example:

1. Rc2+ Kd7 2. Rh2 Kc7 3. Rh8 Rd1 4. Rb8 Rd2 5. Rb7+ Kc6 6. Rb3 Rd8+ 7. Rb8 Rd7

Thanks for checking out the vid!

[TrEkKiE2k7]

Because the white pawn will take it and get promoted

[Azoruk]

Great video

[jrobichess]

Thanks!

[ksrgod]

NICE GREAT JOB!

[jrobichess]

Thanks for checking it out ksrgod!

[BringDaTube]

Nice videos!

[jrobichess]

Thanks BringDaTube!