Quick answer
Rook and Pawn on the Sixth Rank is an endgame technique: Lucena bridge-building. Work from the first evidence position for Rook and Pawn on the Sixth Rank, and begin by testing Kh7.
Begin from Kh7 in 7k/2P5/2K5/8/1R6/8/7r/8 b - - 3 2. Count the material, king routes, promotion squares and reserve tempi before applying a theoretical rule. The evidence answer is: Rook and Pawn on the Sixth Rank: use the king's shelter and a checking-distance bridge before advancing the pawn. Candidate line: Kh7.
In the Rook and Pawn on the Sixth Rank example, notice: side Black; pieces Black king h8, White pawn c7, White king c6, White rook b4, Black rook h2; legal first moves Kh7, Kg7, Kg8, Rh3, Rh4, Rh5, Rh6+, Rh7. Do not export this inventory beyond the present example; it is a local observation, not a doctrine.
Material and result question
The first evidence board tests Lucena bridge-building; the second board tests Lucena bridge-building. Sequence A is direct FEN setup. Sequence B is direct FEN setup. Compare them only after setting both FENs. For glossary entries nearby, open the Chess Wiki plus the Endgames hub. Then compare Material Values with Vancura Defense, Rook Endgame Bridge Building, Rook Endgame Side Checks around checking distance behind the passer.
The two inventories make the distinction concrete. A contains side Black; pieces Black king h8, White pawn c7, White king c6, White rook b4, Black rook h2; legal first moves Kh7, Kg7, Kg8, Rh3, Rh4, Rh5, Rh6+, Rh7; B contains side Black; pieces Black king h8, White pawn c7, Black rook g7, White king c6, White rook g1; legal first moves Kh7, Kg8, Rg8, Rh7, Rg6+, Rg5, Rg4, Rg3. Compare the side to move before comparing the labels in the context of the bishop's color complex.
Topic dossier for this page and board pair r1:7k | r2:2P5 | r3:2K5 | r4:8 | r5:1R6 | r6:8 | r7:7r | r8:8 / r1:7k | r2:2P3r1 | r3:2K5 | r4:8 | r5:8 | r6:8 | r7:8 | r8:6R1: start with checking distance behind the passer; then test the bishop's color complex; keep a stalemate resource separate from a theoretical draw with practical tests; use a knight route that changes the blockade as the transfer check; and reserve the moment to trade the last pawn for the exception.
Conversion or defense plan
On the first board, calculate Kh7 after Kh7 and write down the opponent's best reply around checking distance behind the passer. On the second board, calculate Kh7 after Kh7 and check the bishop's color complex. 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 the moment to trade the last pawn.
Key claim: Rook and Pawn on the Sixth Rank is illustrated here by Lucena bridge-building; the first concrete test is Kh7. The board anchor is 7k/2P5/2K5/8/1R6/8/7r/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 rook and pawn on the sixth rank, and how should each side play them?”, compare the recorded setup with Kh7 and the opponent's reply. The decision is useful only when the stated condition survives that concrete test on board 7k/2P3r1/2K5/8/8/8/8/6R1. 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 | r2:2P3r1 | r3:2K5 | r4:8 | r5:8 | r6:8 | r7:8 | r8:6R1. The false-positive test is whether a stalemate resource appears without a theoretical draw with practical tests, so the conclusion is useful only when the stated condition survives that concrete test.
Evidence positions
example-1: Lucena bridge-building
Show answer
Rook and Pawn on the Sixth Rank: use the king's shelter and a checking-distance bridge before advancing the pawn. Candidate line: Kh7.
Why this position is here: Rook and Pawn on the Sixth Rank is represented by Lucena bridge-building. This is a direct FEN setup with board anchor 7k/2P5/2K5/8/1R6/8/7r/8; no opening history is inferred from the diagram.
FEN: 7k/2P5/2K5/8/1R6/8/7r/8 b - - 3 2
Question: What is the first concrete decision in this rook and pawn on the sixth rank position?
Answer cue: Rook and Pawn on the Sixth Rank: use the king's shelter and a checking-distance bridge before advancing the pawn. Candidate line: Kh7. The first candidate to test is Kh7. Replay Kh7 on board anchor 7k/2P5/2K5/8/1R6/8/7r/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
Rook and Pawn on the Sixth Rank: use the king's shelter and a checking-distance bridge before advancing the pawn. Candidate line: Kh7.
Why this position is here: Rook and Pawn on the Sixth Rank is represented by Lucena bridge-building. This is a direct FEN setup with board anchor 7k/2P3r1/2K5/8/8/8/8/6R1; no opening history is inferred from the diagram.
FEN: 7k/2P3r1/2K5/8/8/8/8/6R1 b - - 3 2
Question: What is the first concrete decision in this rook and pawn on the sixth rank position?
Answer cue: Rook and Pawn on the Sixth Rank: use the king's shelter and a checking-distance bridge before advancing the pawn. Candidate line: Kh7. The first candidate to test is Kh7. Replay Kh7 on board anchor 7k/2P3r1/2K5/8/8/8/8/6R1 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
Rook and Pawn on the Sixth Rank: use the king's shelter and a checking-distance bridge before advancing the pawn. Candidate line: Kh8.
Why this position is here: Rook and Pawn on the Sixth Rank is represented by Lucena bridge-building. This is a direct FEN setup with board anchor 6k1/7r/2K5/8/8/6Q1/8/R7; no opening history is inferred from the diagram.
FEN: 6k1/7r/2K5/8/8/6Q1/8/R7 b - - 4 3
Question: What is the first concrete decision in this rook and pawn on the sixth rank position?
Answer cue: Rook and Pawn on the Sixth Rank: use the king's shelter and a checking-distance bridge before advancing the pawn. Candidate line: Kh8. The first candidate to test is Kh8. Replay Kh8 on board anchor 6k1/7r/2K5/8/8/6Q1/8/R7 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 Kh7, source tablebase. This is a direct FEN setup with board anchor 7k/2P5/2K5/8/1R6/8/7r/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 Kh7, source tablebase. Its feature is Lucena bridge-building; inventory side Black; pieces Black king h8, White pawn c7, Black rook g7, White king c6, White rook g1; legal first moves Kh7, Kg8, Rg8, Rh7, Rg6+, Rg5, Rg4, Rg3. Compare what changes between Kh7 and Kh7.
Boundary cases
The main mistake to avoid with Rook and Pawn on the Sixth Rank 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 r1:7k | r2:2P5 | r3:2K5 | r4:8 | r5:1R6 | r6:8 | r7:7r | r8:8 after Kh7; in B, test it against r1:7k | r2:2P3r1 | r3:2K5 | r4:8 | r5:8 | r6:8 | r7:8 | r8:6R1 after Kh7.
For Rook and Pawn on the Sixth Rank, the first board's evidence boundary (after Kh7) is No tablebase outcome is asserted by this generated record; verify the exact FEN before publication. The second board's evidence boundary for Rook and Pawn on the Sixth Rank 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 a knight route that changes the blockade, 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 r1:7k | r2:2P5 | r3:2K5 | r4:8 | r5:1R6 | r6:8 | r7:7r | r8:8; record two candidates, the reply to Kh7 and the correction. Repeat with B's side to move and r1:7k | r2:2P3r1 | r3:2K5 | r4:8 | r5:8 | r6:8 | r7:8 | r8:6R1; the changed board tests transfer rather than diagram memory.
After the drill, compare your notes with Vancura Defense, Rook Endgame Bridge Building, Rook Endgame Side Checks through a theoretical draw with practical tests. Keep A's rejected alternative beside B's chosen line Kh7; this shows whether the conclusion survived a new board signature.
Sources and scope
Sources for Rook and Pawn on the Sixth Rank: 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 r1:7k | r2:2P5 | r3:2K5 | r4:8 | r5:1R6 | r6:8 | r7:7r | r8:8 / r1:7k | r2:2P3r1 | r3:2K5 | r4:8 | r5:8 | r6:8 | r7:8 | r8:6R1: this page does not claim that Kh7 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 a stalemate resource.