Rook and Rook Pawn Versus Bishop
The wrong rook pawn may come up in other situations, such as this position with a rook and rook pawn versus a bishop. This time the bishop is defending against the rook pawn. If the pawn had not yet reached the fifth rank, White would win. Play might continue:
- 1. Rb7 Bc2
- 2. Kg5 Bd3
- 3. Kh6 Kg8!
- 4. Rg7+ Kf8!! (4... Kh8?? loses)
- ½-½
White cannot win because his king cannot move to the h5 square. If the bishop were on the other colored squares, White would win (Fine & Benko 2003:468–72).
If the defending king is in the corner controlled by his bishop then the pawn can be sacrificed at the right moment to get to a winning rook versus bishop position. If the defending king is in the corner opposite his bishop's color, sacrificing the pawn does not work because the defender easily forms a fortress in the corner (Müller & Lamprecht 2001:271–72). This is also referred to as the defending king being in the "safe" corner, since with the king in the corner with the bishop next to it, he is safe from the rook.
Read more about this topic: Wrong Rook Pawn
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—Bob Dylan [Robert Allen Zimmerman] (b. 1941)
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—Elizabeth Bishop (1911–1979)