Sacrifice Your Rook to Draw Against a Queen

The Desperado Rook

The dictionary defines “desperado” as “a bold or violent criminal.” Whether the “desperado” Rook be a criminal or a hero depends on whether it’s your Rook or your opponent’s. Regardless, we will see him acting bold and violent in today’s lesson.

A “desperado Rook” is a Rook that offers to sacrifice itself over and over again, in the hopes that the enemy King will capture the Rook. If the King ever does capture the Rook, the game will end in a draw by stalemate.

Examples of the “Desperado Rook”

Take this position for example (moves in bold font indicate the main line):

White to move and draw

Black is threatening 1…Qxa4, when White has only one legal reply: 2.Kb1, and is checkmated immediately by 2…Qd1 checkmate.

But it’s White’s move, and he has a drawing resource. He can play 1.Rd4+!

(This is the only way to avoid losing the game.) Now if Black captures the Rook — 1…Kxd4 — it’s stalemate; the game is a draw. So White has offered the rook as a sacrifice, knowing that if black captures it, the game is a draw.

Tip — How to recognize the desperado Rook draw!

The secret to recognizing this possible tactic is to see that the White King would be in stalemate if it were his move and his Rook were not on the board. In this particular case, White notices the relative positions of the White King in the corner and the Black Queen standing a Knight’s move away.

Any time the lone King is in the corner with the enemy Queen a Knight’s move away, it’s stalemate if it’s the King’s move. (This stalemate can come up a number of different ways, and it’s very important in Q v P endgames where White has a c-pawn or f-pawn on the 7th rank.)

Back to the main line

But to return to our position — instead of capturing the Rook, Black could try to avoid it. So he wisely plays 1…Ke3. In which case, White plays 2.Re4+!!

Again the white rook offers itself up. If either the King or the Queen captures the Rook, White is stalemated and the game is a draw.

2…Kf3. Black still avoids the capture.

3.Rf4+.

And White continues the pursuit. This is why the rook is called a “desperado.” Like before, if Black captures the Rook, the game ends in stalemate.

3…Ke2

Black decides to try something different, hoping to somehow avoid the desperado.

4.Rf2+!

But the Rook will not be denied.

Black has two choices: he can either capture the Rook or move the King to protect the Queen. If he captures the Rook, it’s instant stalemate as in the other instances. But if 4…Kd1 (or …Kd3), 5.Rxc2 Kxc2 stalemate!

In this variation, the rook has shown both his bold and violent nature.The desperado Rook valiantly offered himself as a sacrifice in order to save the White King from certain doom.

Here are two desperado Rook positions from Lev Alburt and Roman Pelts:

In both of the following diagrams, White is to move and draw. I’ll have links to the solution for both problems before the end of the week.

White to move and draw

White to move and draw