Quick answer
Queen versus Rook is an endgame technique: Lucena bridge-building. Work from the first evidence position for Queen versus Rook, and begin by testing Ke8.
Begin from Ke8 in 8/2P2k1r/2K5/R7/8/8/8/8 b - - 5 3. Count the material, king routes, promotion squares and reserve tempi before applying a theoretical rule. The evidence answer is: Queen versus Rook: use the king's shelter and a checking-distance bridge before advancing the pawn. Candidate line: Ke8.
In the Queen versus Rook example, notice: side Black; pieces White pawn c7, Black king f7, Black rook h7, White king c6, White rook a5; legal first moves Ke8, Kf8, Kg8, Kg7, Kg6, Kf6, Ke6, Ke7. Treat this piece list as local to the diagram above; it is not a universal map for every similar position.
Material and result question
The first evidence board tests Lucena bridge-building; the second board tests Lucena bridge-building. If both boards list a construction string, read A as direct FEN setup and B as direct FEN setup. Background terms live on the Chess Wiki and the Endgames hub. Then compare Material Values with Queen Versus Pawn, Same Color Bishop Endings, Opposite Color Bishop Endings around the moment to trade the last pawn.
The two inventories make the distinction concrete. A contains side Black; pieces White pawn c7, Black king f7, Black rook h7, White king c6, White rook a5; legal first moves Ke8, Kf8, Kg8, Kg7, Kg6, Kf6, Ke6, Ke7; B contains side White; pieces Black king h8, White pawn c7, White king c6, Black rook d2, White rook c1; legal first moves c8=N, c8=B, c8=R+, c8=Q+, Kb7, Kc5, Kb5, Kb6. Compare the side to move before comparing the labels in the context of a knight route that changes the blockade.
Topic dossier for this page and board pair r1:8 | r2:2P2k1r | r3:2K5 | r4:R7 | r5:8 | r6:8 | r7:8 | r8:8 / r1:7k | r2:2P5 | r3:2K5 | r4:8 | r5:8 | r6:8 | r7:3r4 | r8:2R5: start with the moment to trade the last pawn; then test a knight route that changes the blockade; keep king opposition on the critical file separate from the king's route around a pawn chain; use the bishop's color complex as the transfer check; and reserve checking distance behind the passer for the exception.
Conversion or defense plan
On the first board, calculate Ke8 after Ke8 and write down the opponent's best reply around the moment to trade the last pawn. On the second board, calculate Kc5 after Kc5 and check a knight route that changes the blockade. Separate the practical conversion question from the result question; side to move and one checking distance can change the conclusion. In this case the useful condition is checking distance behind the passer.
Key claim: Queen versus Rook is illustrated here by Lucena bridge-building; the first concrete test is Ke8. The board anchor is 8/2P2k1r/2K5/R7/8/8/8/8; the example is intentionally narrower than the topic label and should not be generalised without checking the surrounding position..
Practical boundary: To answer “What exact king, pawn, and move-order conditions decide queen versus rook, and how should each side play them?”, compare the recorded setup with Kc5 and the opponent's reply. The decision is useful only when the stated condition survives that concrete test on board 7k/2P5/2K5/8/8/8/3r4/2R5. The evidence records No tablebase outcome is asserted by this generated record; verify the exact FEN before publication and the second board signature r1:7k | r2:2P5 | r3:2K5 | r4:8 | r5:8 | r6:8 | r7:3r4 | r8:2R5. The false-positive test is whether king opposition on the critical file appears without the king's route around a pawn chain, so the conclusion is useful only when the stated condition survives that concrete test.
Evidence positions
example-1: Lucena bridge-building
Show answer
Queen versus Rook: use the king's shelter and a checking-distance bridge before advancing the pawn. Candidate line: Ke8.
Why this position is here: Queen versus Rook is represented by Lucena bridge-building. This is a direct FEN setup with board anchor 8/2P2k1r/2K5/R7/8/8/8/8; no opening history is inferred from the diagram.
FEN: 8/2P2k1r/2K5/R7/8/8/8/8 b - - 5 3
Question: What is the first concrete decision in this queen versus rook position?
Answer cue: Queen versus Rook: use the king's shelter and a checking-distance bridge before advancing the pawn. Candidate line: Ke8. The first candidate to test is Ke8. Replay Ke8 on board anchor 8/2P2k1r/2K5/R7/8/8/8/8 and write down what changes after it.
Evidence boundary: No tablebase outcome is asserted by this generated record; verify the exact FEN before publication.
example-2: Lucena bridge-building
Show answer
Queen versus Rook: use the king's shelter and a checking-distance bridge before advancing the pawn. Candidate line: Kc5.
Why this position is here: Queen versus Rook is represented by Lucena bridge-building. This is a direct FEN setup with board anchor 7k/2P5/2K5/8/8/8/3r4/2R5; no opening history is inferred from the diagram.
FEN: 7k/2P5/2K5/8/8/8/3r4/2R5 w - - 4 3
Question: What is the first concrete decision in this queen versus rook position?
Answer cue: Queen versus Rook: use the king's shelter and a checking-distance bridge before advancing the pawn. Candidate line: Kc5. The first candidate to test is Kc5. Replay Kc5 on board anchor 7k/2P5/2K5/8/8/8/3r4/2R5 and write down what changes after it.
Evidence boundary: No tablebase outcome is asserted by this generated record; verify the exact FEN before publication.
example-3: Lucena bridge-building
Show answer
Queen versus Rook: use the king's shelter and a checking-distance bridge before advancing the pawn. Candidate line: Ra8+.
Why this position is here: Queen versus Rook is represented by Lucena bridge-building. This is a direct FEN setup with board anchor 7k/R1P5/2K5/7r/8/8/8/8; no opening history is inferred from the diagram.
FEN: 7k/R1P5/2K5/7r/8/8/8/8 w - - 2 2
Question: What is the first concrete decision in this queen versus rook position?
Answer cue: Queen versus Rook: use the king's shelter and a checking-distance bridge before advancing the pawn. Candidate line: Ra8+. The first candidate to test is Ra8+. Replay Ra8+ on board anchor 7k/R1P5/2K5/7r/8/8/8/8 and write down what changes after it.
Evidence boundary: No tablebase outcome is asserted by this generated record; verify the exact FEN before publication.
Reading the line
Read the first example (id example-1) as a complete record: continuation Ke8, source tablebase. This is a direct FEN setup with board anchor 8/2P2k1r/2K5/R7/8/8/8/8; no opening history is inferred from the diagram. If A does not expose Lucena bridge-building, correct the evidence before relying on the prose.
Read the second example (id example-2) separately: continuation Kc5, source tablebase. Its feature is Lucena bridge-building; inventory side White; pieces Black king h8, White pawn c7, White king c6, Black rook d2, White rook c1; legal first moves c8=N, c8=B, c8=R+, c8=Q+, Kb7, Kc5, Kb5, Kb6. Compare what changes between Ke8 and Kc5.
Boundary cases
The main mistake to avoid with Queen versus Rook is applying a remembered endgame rule while ignoring side to move, king placement or an unverified result. In A, the missing condition must be located in r1:8 | r2:2P2k1r | r3:2K5 | r4:R7 | r5:8 | r6:8 | r7:8 | r8:8 after Ke8; in B, test it against r1:7k | r2:2P5 | r3:2K5 | r4:8 | r5:8 | r6:8 | r7:3r4 | r8:2R5 after Kc5.
For Queen versus Rook, the first board's evidence boundary (after Ke8) is No tablebase outcome is asserted by this generated record; verify the exact FEN before publication. The second board's evidence boundary for Queen versus Rook is No tablebase outcome is asserted by this generated record; verify the exact FEN before publication. If a trusted source or careful calculation changes the conclusion around the bishop's color complex, update both the evidence record and this article.
Practice from a real game
play the position for both sides, record the critical tempo, and verify the exact FEN against the cited tablebase before publication. Start with A's side to move and r1:8 | r2:2P2k1r | r3:2K5 | r4:R7 | r5:8 | r6:8 | r7:8 | r8:8; record two candidates, the reply to Ke8 and the correction. Repeat with B's side to move and r1:7k | r2:2P5 | r3:2K5 | r4:8 | r5:8 | r6:8 | r7:3r4 | r8:2R5; the changed board tests transfer rather than diagram memory.
After the drill, compare your notes with Queen Versus Pawn, Same Color Bishop Endings, Opposite Color Bishop Endings through the king's route around a pawn chain. Keep A's rejected alternative beside B's chosen line Kc5; this shows whether the conclusion survived a new board signature.
Sources and scope
Sources for Queen versus Rook: Syzygy tablebase verification reference, 1chess.online editorial scope. Source ids are tablebase, original-analysis. Primary evidence hook: tablebase. Comparisons and practice notes are editorial. Evidence revision: 2026-08-remediation-r2.
Scope note for board pair r1:8 | r2:2P2k1r | r3:2K5 | r4:R7 | r5:8 | r6:8 | r7:8 | r8:8 / r1:7k | r2:2P5 | r3:2K5 | r4:8 | r5:8 | r6:8 | r7:3r4 | r8:2R5: this page does not claim that Ke8 is an engine principal variation, that an exact endgame result is verified when the evidence says it is not, or that a tool output replaces human calculation. The conclusion is limited to the recorded boundary and the exception king opposition on the critical file.