King and rook vs king
Also known as KR vs K, Rook mate
One of the very first mates every player should learn. With king and rook against a lone king, you herd the defender to the edge of the board, bring your own king up to face it, and let the rook deliver the final check along the edge. Here White's king on e6 already faces the black king, so Ra8 is mate.
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How it works
The black king on e8 sits on the back rank. White's king on e6 stands two ranks away, directly opposite – this is the opposition. From there it guards the three forward escape squares d7, e7 and f7. The squares d8 and f8 lie along the 8th rank, so when the rook lands on a8 it both checks the king and sweeps the whole back rank, covering d8 and f8. Every flight square is taken: the forward squares by the king, the sideways squares by the rook. Checkmate.
How to spot it
It arises in the endgame once you have won enough material to be left with just a rook and king against a bare king. The method: use the rook to build a wall the enemy king cannot cross, then march your own king up to take the opposition (kings facing each other with one square between). When the kings stand opposite and the defender is on the edge, slide the rook along that edge to give mate. If the enemy king steps sideways instead, follow with your king and repeat until it runs out of edge.
Key ideas
- The rook checks along the edge while covering the whole rank
- Your king takes the opposition to block the three forward escape squares
- Drive the lone king to any edge of the board first
- Use the rook as a fence the enemy king cannot step past
- If checking fails, advance your king and try again
Famous example
A fundamental textbook endgame rather than a famous game – it appears in every beginner's manual, from Capablanca's Chess Fundamentals onward, as the first checkmate to master with limited material.