Answers.Body: <p>According to the <a href="http://www.shredderchess.com/online-chess/online-databases/endgame-database.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Shredder database</a> (sorry, I can't link directly to a position), the position after Rh7 is won in 32 moves and Ra7 gives the win away.</p>
  
  <p>There are some similar positions with a- and b-pawns which <em>are</em> drawn, but this is not one of them. Actually, playing around with the database, I found that the initial position with the black king on b8, <em>is</em> drawn (and Rh7 is one of the two moves keeping the draw).</p>
  
  <p>Another example is this one, where the white rook is tied to the defense of the b pawn and the white king can't really help.</p>
  
  <pre><code>[White "J. van der Wiel"]
  [Black "P. Boersma"]
  [Result "1/2"]
  [FEN "8/2k5/1R6/PP5r/8/4K3/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
  
  1. Ke4 Rh4+ 2. Kf5 Rh5+ 3. Kg6 Rc5 4. Kf7 Rh5 5. Rc6+ Kd7 6. a6 Rxb5 7. a7 Ra5 8. Re6 Kc7 1/2-1/2
  </code></pre>
  
  <p><sub>source: Fundamental Chess Endings by Müller and Lamprecht</sub></p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2017-03-11T17:33:55.560Z
Answers.Text: There are nice mutual zugzwang positions with white king cut off on 2nd rank by black rook (3rd rank), white rook on a7 and black king on b8 too.
Answers.UserDisplayName: hoacin
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2017-03-11T13:53:02.007Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2017-03-11T14:07:21.350Z
Answers.LastEditDate: 2017-03-11T14:07:21.350Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Glorfindel
Body: <p>When playing against a player rated ~2500 Stockfish 8 managed merely to draw when playing white. This was the endgame before the draw (the draw occurred because it was king vs. king in the end).</p>
  
  <p>Black played rook to h7 and then Stockfish played the rook to a7.</p>
  
  <p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/ngAGt.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/ngAGt.png" alt="enter image description here"></a></p>
  
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2017-03-11T13:31:58.447Z
Comments.Text: Someone should check 6-men tablebase.
Comments.UserDisplayName: SmallChess
Tags: <endgame><stockfish><rook-endgame>
Title: Can white really not win this rook endgame?
ThreadText: # Can white really not win this rook endgame?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2017-03-11)
  
  When playing against a player rated ~2500 Stockfish 8 managed merely to draw when playing white. This was the endgame before the draw (the draw occurred because it was king vs. king in the end).
  
  Black played rook to h7 and then Stockfish played the rook to a7.
  
  [![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/ngAGt.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/ngAGt.png)
  
  **Tags:** endgame, stockfish, rook-endgame
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_1**: Someone should check 6-men tablebase.  
  
  ---
  
  ## 1 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_2 on 2017-03-11. Score: 2 | Accepted answer
  
  According to the [Shredder database](http://www.shredderchess.com/online-chess/online-databases/endgame-database.html) (sorry, I can't link directly to a position), the position after Rh7 is won in 32 moves and Ra7 gives the win away.
  
  There are some similar positions with a- and b-pawns which *are* drawn, but this is not one of them. Actually, playing around with the database, I found that the initial position with the black king on b8, *is* drawn (and Rh7 is one of the two moves keeping the draw).
  
  Another example is this one, where the white rook is tied to the defense of the b pawn and the white king can't really help.
  
  ```
  [White "J. van der Wiel"]
  [Black "P. Boersma"]
  [Result "1/2"]
  [FEN "8/2k5/1R6/PP5r/8/4K3/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
  
  1. Ke4 Rh4+ 2. Kf5 Rh5+ 3. Kg6 Rc5 4. Kf7 Rh5 5. Rc6+ Kd7 6. a6 Rxb5 7. a7 Ra5 8. Re6 Kc7 1/2-1/2
  
  ```
  
  source: Fundamental Chess Endings by Müller and Lamprecht
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_3**: There are nice mutual zugzwang positions with white king cut off on 2nd rank by black rook (3rd rank), white rook on a7 and black king on b8 too.  
  
  ---
  
  