Chessbase just put a complete database about this ending: http://chessbase.com/cbm/cbm135e/cbm135-12/QvR.cbv

Since a strong computer program will play the optimum moves in Q v R it'll be very hard to break down - as Browne discovered. To err is human, however, and a perfect defence is very difficult to play. There was a game Morozevich-Jakovenko (relatively) recently where 
Morozevich (with the Q) fell into a stalemating trick. Maybe he was in time trouble, I don't know - but if someone that strong can mess it up, it doesn't bode well for the rest of us. Fortunately this ending is very rare; I've had it twice, drawing with the Q (in the last five minutes of a seven hour session you start to hallucinate slightly) and drawing with the R (stalemate!) Of course, the results should be the other way round.

Dink Heckler wrote on 03/24/10 at 11:07:25:

Yeah against a human.

What Dink said. I'd expect to win against a opponent of equal strength - not if I were Svidler and my opponent was Gelfand, obviously (or was it Jakovenko?), but at my own level I would expect some kind of blunder it if was me with the rook, so I dare say the same goes for my opponent. Against a computer - more or less no chance.

Fromper wrote on 03/20/10 at 06:16:23:


Fortunately, the endgame doesn't crop up often in practical play, like for bishop + knight vs. king. The key is to force the opponent back with the queen and king working together, then play a waiting move that forces Black to retreat due to various rook moves losing the rook. Then you can eventually achieve zugzwang whilst avoiding the various stalemate tricks once the opponent's king is on the back rank. Easier said than done, but with some practice you'll be able to win with the Queen.

Best explanation I have seen is by Averbach in his classic tome!

Interesting exhibition in 1977 with  Belle. From Wikipedia:

"Most grandmasters declined to play against the computer in the queen versus rook endgame, but Walter Browne accepted the challenge. A queen versus rook position was set up in which the queen can win in thirty moves, with perfect play. Browne was allowed 2½ hours to play fifty moves. After forty-five moves, Browne agreed to a draw, being unable to force checkmate or win the rook within the next five moves.... Browne studied the endgame, and played the computer again a week later in a different position in which the queen can win in thirty moves. This time, he captured the rook on the fiftieth move, giving him a winning position."

I am interested to know how many can actually pull this off. And the position is of course the hardest to win.

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