Video Series on Rook Endings

This comprehensive series instructs on perhaps the most practical and commonly reached type of endgames (Rook Endings). It is designed to take a chess player with the most limited knowledge of basic rook ending ideas -- to a master level understanding of the most important patterns, techniques, winning methods, and dynamic tricks.

We begin our journey (Parts 1, 2, 3 and 4) with some practical advice on the necessity of understanding these particular endings, the way one should approach studying/mastering these positions on their own, and the most basic and fundamentally critical positions.

Not what you were looking for? Back to video guide.

Part 1 -- The first video presents concepts as well as the two most important positions in the theory of rook endgames: the Lucena Position and the Philidor Defense. (Beginner and Intermediate)

Part 2 -- The second video reviews and extends the basic ideas learned in Part 1 -- Then we move onto a vital discussion of the "short-side" and "long-side" defensive methods. (Beginner and Intermediate)

Part 3 -- The third video dives deeper into the "short-side/long-side" discussion, as well as provides a more general outlook on how to approach rook endings as they become more complex. (Intermediate)

Part 4 -- The fourth video explains the only winning method for a corner-pawn (a or h files) as well as provides examples of when a win is not possible with the corner pawn. (Intermediate)

As we move into the latter parts of the video series we should have by now established an understanding of the most critical and basic winning methods and defensive techniques. We now begin our study of the more complicated drawing methods, as well as the winning techniques for when the defender's (side playing without the pawn) King is cut off by one or more files.

Part 5 -- The fifth video introduces the "Frontal Attack" drawing method.(Intermediate)

Part 6 -- The sixth video continues with "Frontal Attack" studies as well as practical examples of these particular winning and drawing techniques. (Intermediate and Advanced)

After a strong "technical understanding" has now been established, we move onto our final five videos, which have all been reserved for practical studies and techniques.

Part 7 -- The seventh video introduces us to new studies of "practical patterns and tricks". In particular, the "Umbrella Method" is explained as an important winning idea. (Intermediate and Advanced)

Part 8 -- The eighth video continues with a number of different practical positions: The "back-door" trick; rook placement when playing with or against an enemy passed pawn; playing with multiple pawns. (Intermediate and Advanced)

Part 9 -- The ninth video displays further practical, although now increasingly complex, rook endings -- including examples from my personal pgn database. (Advanced)

Part 10 -- The tenth video provides examples from tournament play, and suggests a "try to solve them for yourself" type of study format. The tenth video also provides a review of the majority of the concepts and techniques learned in the entire video series. (Advanced)

Part 11 -- The "bonus" video provides a very advanced, highly instructive, and particulary beautiful rook endgame played at the highest levels of American chess -- taken straight from the library of one of my personal mentors, GM Alex Yermolinsky. (Advanced)

GM Melik Khachiyan

In addition, Chess.com has recently (Fall 2010 - Spring 2011) produced five videos by Grandmaster Melik Khachiyan that complement IM Daniel Rensch's "Rook Endgames: Beginner to Master" series very well. For Advanced Players.

Typical Rook Endgame Mistakes 1 -- Which covers in more detail the "King on Short" and "Rook on Long" side winning/drawing methods. (Advanced)

Typical Rook Endgame Mistakes 2 -- Which covers the "Lasker Defense" drawing method. (Advanced)

Typical Rook Endgame Mistakes 3 -- Which covers more complex and practical examples of the "Frontal Attack" winning and drawing positions. (Advanced)

Typical Rook Endgame Mistakes 4 -- Which covers a complicated game between Gligoric and Fischer from the 1959 Interzonal tournament. (Advanced)

Typical Rook Endgame Mistakes 5 -- Which covers the drawing method required to know in order to draw against an opponent's bishop and rook pawns (f and h files). (Advanced)

Typical Rook Endgame Mistakes 6 --  In this short, but in your face, video lesson you will witness a common mistake: valuing a pawn over the desired result of the game!

Typical Rook Endgame Mistakes 7 --  Three pawns vs a Rook, and several blunders to go with it! GM Khachiyan continues today with another "quickie" filled with mistakes for your entertainment.

Typical Rook Endgame Mistakes 8 --  This video lecture contains arguably one of the most practical lessons of your chess life. Understanding that not all Rook Endings are drawn when your opponent possesses an outside passer is perhaps even more important than knowing how to win the endgame.

Typical Rook Endgame Mistakes 9 --  This video lecture on one highly interesting draw with Rook and Pawn vs Knight and Pawn, and then transitions into the famous "Reti Zugzwang" of Rook vs Pawn Endings... Enjoy!

Typical Rook Endgame Mistakes 10 --  GM Melik Khachiyan continues his extremely practical series on commonly made mistakes in all types of endgames involving Rooks. Here we see black's "unbreakable" fortress broken by "self-destruction"...

GM Alex Yermolinsky

Super GM Rook Endings: Carlsen's Masterpiece -- Using Carlsen vs Vachier-Lagrave from the London Chess Classic as a guide, Yermo demonstrates Super GM's deep understanding of complex Rook and Pawn play! (Advanced)

Super GM Rook Endings: Giri's Blunder -- Yermo continues his series on advanced rook endings with a game between Giri and Caruana from the 2016 Wijk ann Zee. (Advanced)

Super GM Rook Endings: Aronian's Technique --  This video features Giri vs Aronian from the 2016 Zurich Chess Challenge 2016, Giri finds a Rook manueover so strong that Yermo decides to name it! (Advanced)

This listing will be edited when any further modules are added! Also, please leave feedback about the series here, particularly if you have questions, as we do not check the comments sections of old videos very often.