Build the bridge.
Keep the rook active.

Know Lucena and Philidor positions, cutting off the king, checking distance, the active rook, rook behind the passed pawn, and when to trade into a pawn ending. Add bishop-versus-knight and opposite-colored bishop principles to your endgame toolkit.

• Activate the rook—even at the cost of a pawn—before defending passively.
• Cut the enemy king off by ranks or files.
• In Lucena-type wins, use the rook as a shield so the king can escape checks.