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Endgame

Philidor position

The fundamental drawing technique in rook endgames — the third-rank defence.

Defending a rook endgame a pawn down, you hold your rook on your third rank to stop the enemy king advancing. The moment the attacker's pawn reaches that rank, you drop the rook to your first rank and check the king from behind — a fortress draw.

It is the mirror image of the Lucena: Lucena is how the stronger side wins, Philidor is how the weaker side holds.

Why it matters

Half of rook endgames are about knowing whether a position is a Lucena win or a Philidor draw. The defensive technique saves countless half-points.

The mistake everyone makes

Giving up the third rank too early, letting the enemy king march in front of its pawn, and losing a draw you could have held.

Related terms

Lucena position
The fundamental winning technique in rook endgames — 'building a bridge'.
Fortress
A drawn setup the stronger side cannot break down despite being materially ahead.
Opposition
Kings facing each other with one square between them; the side NOT to move usually holds the advantage.
Passed pawn
A pawn with no enemy pawns able to block or capture it on its way to promotion.

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