nice

jhuhniv, how can white win? Theoretically, even a R+B vs. R endgame is a draw, but in this case black has a strong passed pawn which would normally mean black wins.

This all seems very odd to me. White can win this puzzle, why go for a draw?

SukerPuncher333, endgames with up to 4 pieces have already been solved, so we can just look up if that position is won or drawn :)

Here's an online tablebase, and if you enter the FEN-string "8/8/8/5k2/K2B4/8/8/1r6 b - - 0 1" you get the current position. Every black move gets the value 0, which means it's a draw, assuming best play by both. If you click Rb1-b7 you see that 8 moves, including Ka4-a5, draw for white.

Is the K+R vs K+B ending a win for black if white cannot get his king to a light-squared corner? I'm referring to this line in particular:

4... QxR+ 5. KxR Rb7

And now the white K can't get to either of the light-squared corners. Can black now force a win? For example, this site below shows a mate in 29 with a K+R vs K+B ending.

http://www.gilith.com/chess/endgames/kr_kb.html

erowe1, endgames are very rich and complex. Every endgame requires a different strategy, so unfortunately there are no real general rules of thumb there.

For R vs. B endgames: If white has a dark-squared bishop, he can get a draw by getting his king to a8 and playing Ba7-Bb8-Ba7-Bb8-.... If black wants to make progress, he has to pin the bishop to the king, say with Ra1. Then white can play Kb8, and Ka8 on the next move, getting back to the same drawn position.

For Q vs. R+B: Well, Q vs. R is hardly won, so I just assume Q vs. R+B must be a draw (also considering a R + B together are hardly worse than a queen). A drawing plan could be to put a rook on a file to cut off the king, and use the bishop to defend the rook from a distance, and then defend the bishop with the king. A queen alone cannot mate, and the king can't get closer.

It's not an immediate draw, but, well, it's not that hard to find such fortresses for stronger players. Stronger players will soon agree to a draw, while when playing against weaker players you may want to continue, because there's a good chance you win with R vs. B, or that your opponent leaves his B hanging in a Q vs. R+B endgame :)

There is a good book on MANY different endgame types, called "Endgame Tactics" by Van Perlo, published by New in Chess. If you want to learn more about all kinds of endgames, that's a highly recommended book. It may be pricy, but with ~500 pages, excellent reviews and the 2006 ECF Book of the Year award, it's worth it.

Are there any clear and agreed upon rules of thumb for what endgame material counts as a draw? Is queen vs. rook and bishop definitely a draw? Is rook vs. bishop (which is another possible outcome here) definitely a draw? Would a game in tournament play automatically end as a draw in those scenarios? Are there any lessons available that show step-by-step how these must be draws (similar to the lessons that show how to get mate with 2 bishops etc.)?

Sorry for so many questions. I'm still at a level where I need to be walked through what looks obvious to better players.

This is too easy puzzle, because it is obvious first 3 moves, there is even dont need to think "what next" or "what if" - too simple. The only interest is the last move, that is raisin of the puzzle, but there is no alternatives, so it can be found easly too. The good puzzles have many continuetions, and there is no obvious first moves, most time the first is the hardiest to find, so i wish you will post those good ones insteed of easy-resolving, i will put for you an example in my blog in few days. :)

Because of 1. ... Ra8+ 2. Kb4 Rxa3 3. Kxa3 a1Q

Why not 1. Ra3 then move the king over to aid the rook?

Amiraz, I do think that's a draw. I guess white could just use the rook to cut off the king from half of the board, use the bishop to defend the rook, and just move the king back and forth, defending the bishop.

After 4...Rb5+ 5.Kxb5 we get a Queen vs Rook and Bishop endgame. Is that a draw?

Very nice, couldnt solve it though.