OpeningMatrix Part of ChessTropic
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Rook endings

Philidor defense

Learn the technique, practise without help, then time trial. 8 lines ready on the board.

8 lines As Black Learn Practice Time trial

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Starting moves

1. Rb6 Rf2 2. Ra6 Rf1 3. Rb6

Lines in this drill

  • Hold the 6th — wait on the rank
  • Hold the 6th — king goes to d5
  • Hold the 6th — king goes to f5
  • Only if White’s king leaves — then take
  • Pawn on 6th — checks from behind
  • Pawn on 6th — trade the rook when it hangs
  • Pawn on 6th — king goes to c7
  • Pawn on 6th — oscillate on the d/e files

Ideas from the drill

  • Philidor: keep the rook on the 6th so White’s king cannot cross.
  • White waits. Stay put — do not chase or take yet.
  • Slide along the 6th. The cut still holds.

Continue on the board

Sign in free to train this endgame. Guests can try King and rook mate and King and queen mate without an account.

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Release notes

What's new

Shipping history for ChessTropic, newest first. Open this anytime from the rail.

  1. v1.3 Latest

    Sparring bots, Puzzle Rush, and Coach Credits — train against style, then race the clock.

    • added Sparring: Free training games against styled bots for every signed-in member — no coaching lecture.
    • added Puzzle Rush: Solve against the clock — 3:00 and 3 lives — with its own all-time leaderboard.
    • added Coach Credits: Free members get a monthly allotment; Unlimited gets 100. Buy a one-time pack of 100 anytime.
    • improved Leaderboards: Daily, weekly, and all-time Practice boards now sit beside puzzle rating and Puzzle Rush.
    • improved Homepage: Clearer feature tour for Game Review, Blunder Override, Puzzles, AI Coach, and Sparring.
  2. v1.2

    AI Coach arrives, alongside Member Directory, Achievements, and a sharper ChessTropic shell.

    • added AI Coach: Play the Cyber Chameleon with live move notes, post-game debriefs, and follow-up chat.
    • added Member Directory: Browse public profiles and see who else is training.
    • added Achievements: Earn badges for practice streaks, puzzles, and milestones.
    • added Public profiles: Share a page for your practice stats, puzzle rating, and badges.
    • improved OpeningMatrix handoff: Opening trainer, Endgames Vault, Repertoire, and Community Courses open on OpeningMatrix when you need study tools.
    • fixed Safari: Board and shell layout fixes for Safari on macOS and iOS.
  3. v1.1

    Report, Blunder Override, and Game Review — tools that help you understand your own play.

    • added Report: Track your Chess.com and Lichess ratings, and see which openings you play most.
    • added Blunder Override: Replay past games and walk through the exact moments you threw away a win.
    • added Game Review: Import games from Chess.com, Lichess, or a PGN for a move-by-move engine breakdown.
  4. v1.0

    The first build: opening trainer, Endgames Vault, progress tracking, repertoire builder, community courses, and live puzzles.

    • added Opening Trainer: Drill 100+ official starter courses with Learn, Practice, and Time Trial.
    • added Endgames Vault: King opposition, Lucena, Philidor, king and rook mate, and king and queen mate.
    • added Progress tracking: Personal learning progress, puzzle ratings, and daily practice streaks.
    • added Repertoire Builder: Build and drill your own opening courses as White or Black.
    • added Community Courses: Publish a course to share with other players.
    • added Live Puzzles: An all-time rating leaderboard that updates as you solve.

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