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The position is analyzed in many endgame works, but to my knowledge hasn't been given a name as other similar endgames (e.g. "Vancura's position") have.

Two of the most authoritative works, Nunn (2008) and Dvoretsky (2011), don't give it a name or cite a first analyst. 

K7/P4k2/8/8/8/8/4R3/1r6 w - - 0 1

Dvoretsky, M. (2011). Dvoretsky's endgame manual. SCB Distributors.
Nunn, J. (2008). Secrets of rook endings.

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I've looked in several books, including Nunn's earlier edition of Secrets of Rook Endings (1992), Muller and Lamprecht's Fundamental Chess Endings, and Silman's Complete Endgame Course.

None of them have give it a name or source, although Silman refers to it as a "Lucena" but notes that it's not a true Lucena, since it's a rook pawn. It does tend to get grouped together with the Lucena and Philidor positions and the bridge and Karstedt maneuvers.

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  • Lucena? There is anot any bridge – user16971 Aug 16 '18 at 8:04
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    I don't have the book to check myself, but I woudl'nt be surprise if this posistion was already present in Tarrasch's "The Game of Chess". At least, he studies similar endgame and there is no doubt he knew the position (as most of grandmaster did in his days already). It must be in Cheron and Averback works too, possibly Vancura also. – Evargalo Aug 16 '18 at 8:05
  • @Universal_learner : the parallel with Lucena is not due to the birdge pattern (inexistant here as you pointed) but to the configuration with wK on the promoting square and bR preventing it from freeing the way for tha pawn. – Evargalo Aug 16 '18 at 8:10
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Herb Wolfe's answer checks some of the books quoted by the poster -and some others- where this endgame was mentioned, but any particular name was assigned to the position, being just included at Lucena/Philidor chapters.

The analysis don't look very deep, that migth be the reason why it has not a huge interest on GM analysis.

This is how stockfish wins against himself with white:

[FEN ""]
[FEN "K7/P4k2/8/8/8/8/4R3/1r6 w - - 0 1"]

1. Rc2 Ke7 2. Rc8 Kd6 3. Rb8 Ra1 4. Kb7 Rb1+ 5. Kc8 Rc1+ 6. Kd8 Rf1 (6... Rh1 7. Rb6+ Kc5 8. Rc6+ Kd5 (8... Kb5 9. Rc8 Ra1 (9... Rh8+ 10. Kc7 Rh7+ 11. Kb8)) 9. Ra6) 7. Ke8 Ra1 8. a8=Q *

However white wins because of black's king position. If the king starts on e7, it is drawn because white's king can't get away from a-column:

[FEN ""]
[FEN "K7/P3k3/8/8/8/8/3R4/1r6 w - - 0 1"]

1. Rc2 Kd7 2. Rh2 Kc6 3. Rh8 Kc7 4. Rb8 Rd1
5. Rb2 Rd8+ 6. Rb8 Rd1

If it is black's turn, white wins in a similar way.

[FEN ""]
[FEN "K7/P4k2/8/8/8/8/4R3/1r6 b - - 0 1"]

1... Rb3 2. Rc2 Ke6 3. Rc8 Kd6 4. Rb8 Ra3 5. Kb7
Rb3+ 6. Kc8 Rc3+ 7. Kd8 Rh3 8. Rb6+ Kc5 9. Rc6+
Kb5 10. Rc8 Rh8+ 11. Kc7 Rh7+ 12. Kb8
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  • 1
    Whoever starts first, Black's best defense is to bring his king to d6, not d7, and try to survive in the Q vs R endgame. Your engine doesn't care because for it, Q vs R is 1-0 as sure as mate, but for practical purposes it is important. Whoever plays first makes only one small difference: if White is on move, it makes sense to start with 1.Re3! before switching to the c-file (c3-c8-b8), because in the subsequent Q vs R endgame, the black rook will be forked more easily if it cannot find shelter on the third rank. – Evargalo Aug 16 '18 at 8:01
  • I realized too at my third dagram the endgame is tricky to win eg, to me. So at first one there is also a way to finish on a QvsR endgame @Evargalo? I will check it later at home.Thanks for the apointment. – user16971 Aug 16 '18 at 8:52
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    I don't understand why this is an answer. The solution is well known, the question says it is well known, and it's been proven by tablebases. The question asks what its name is. – RemcoGerlich Aug 16 '18 at 9:27
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    Or, you can just read the question. It is in many endgame books. – RemcoGerlich Aug 16 '18 at 10:12
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    @Universal_learner : if you are at 1900 elo, I'm sure it would have been much more beneficial for you to analyse this endgame without an engine. I don't think you would have needed more than half an hour. – Evargalo Aug 17 '18 at 15:17

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