The Lucena position is remarkably easy to understand and will give you several wins with little study time. Created by the Spaniard Luis Ramires Lucena. His book Repeticion de Amores y Arte de Axedres was written in 1497 and is the oldest existing printed book on chess. Curiously, it does not mention this position. Lucena is a well known end game position that assures white a win with a pawn and rook against blacks lone perpetual check hungry rook. Blacks claws for the draw while whites patience "builds a bridge" or "shield" in order to allow the white pawn to queen. A few simple rules to Lucena:
It can not be performed if the pawn is a rook or wing pawn. A or H file pawns need not apply.
The pawn must be on the seventh rank. Ofcourse you can strive for this position earlier in the game but from where we are starting it must be on the 7th.
The white king must be in front of the white pawn on the potential queening square.
Whites rook cuts the black king off from the white pawns file.
The black rook is on a file on the opposite side of the pawn from the white rook.
Moves starting from the first position above and leading to the second position are as follows:
1. Rd1+ Ke7 (It makes no difference where the black king moves)
2. Rd4! Ra1
3. Kc7 Rc1+
4. Kb6 Rb1+
5. Kc6 Rc1+
6. Kb5 Rb1+
7. Rb4... (Black is now unable to check whites king or stop the pawn from queening)
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