A Rook and Pawn Ending

    I have always enjoyed these endings so while looking over the games from Bucharest 1954 (see previous post) I noticed one of Nezhmetdinov's wins was a R and P ending that was very instructive. The old saying is “All Rook endings are drawn, except for those that aren't.” is always true and that is what makes them so fascinating.  Unfortunately in Rook and Pawn endings there are a ton of rules that apply and they are difficult to remember. Perhaps the best thing to do is try to learn by example.
     Nezhmetdinov will never be in the running for the title “King of the Endgame” but he played a lot of endings that are of great practical value because even in the ending, just as in the opening and middlegame, he sought active play and tactical solutions wherever he could. I recommend playing over this ending using an actual board and pieces.