Alekhine vs Capablanca, 1927 (game 34): the rook behind the outside passed pawn
White to win
Moves
54.
55.
56.
57.
58.
59.
60.
With an outside passed pawn, put the rook behind it, advance it as far as it safely goes, and use the fact that the enemy rook is tied down to walk your king across the board.
The decisive game of the 1927 World Championship. White has an extra pawn, the outside passer on a5, while the kingside pawns balance each other. Black's rook on a6 is in front of the pawn. Alekhine's plan is the textbook method for converting such a pawn.
Common mistakes
a6Pushing before the rook is behind the pawn: the pawn becomes a target the rook on d4 cannot support, and the black king approaches it. Ra4 first.
Kf3The king march without first placing the rook behind the pawn; Black gets ...Kf6-e5 and the rook on a6 keeps the pawn under control. Ra4 first.
Rb4Leaves the a-pawn to the black rook; the key is Ra4, keeping the rook on the a-file behind the pawn.