Philidor Position
Position: 8/8/R7/8/8/3kp3/8/4K3
The fundamental rook-ending draw. Hold your rook on the third rank until the pawn advances, then swing behind it and check the king from the rear.
Why this position matters
Endgames like this decide more club games than any opening trap. Knowing the third-rank defence converts half-points into wins — and guessing at it throws them away. PawnPilot lets you play this exact position against tablebase-perfect defence: every slip is caught, explained, and re-scheduled for review until the technique is automatic.
Practice this endgame →