Chess Endgame
As a chess player, how prepared are you to be successful in the endgame? This phase is critical for ending every game on your terms. Here is what you should know:
- What Is The Endgame?
- What To Do When You Are Winning
- What To Do When You Are Equal
- What To Do When You Are Losing
- How To Study Endgames
- Wrapping Up
- Chess Endgame Video
Knowing the importance of the endgame is valuable for every player.
What Is The Endgame?
The endgame is the third and final phase of a chess game. As its name implies, it occurs after the first two phases: opening and middlegame. Although checkmates can occur in the opening and middlegame, most games do reach the endgame phase.
The endgame typically begins with most of the pieces having been exchanged, although there is no strict standard when it starts. When your opponent has fewer pieces, the more important it is for your king to be active, such as by supporting a passed pawn or coming to the center of the chessboard where it can be an attacking piece. As a result, the king becomes a powerful piece — a distinctive characteristic of this phase. An active king often determines which player will be successful in the endgame.
Although the king really doesn't measure in value like the other chess pieces because it is indispensable, it can be a powerful piece in the endgame.
The endgame also has other important strategies. In this phase, pawns become more important as each player tries to advance one to the last rank. In this phase, the main goal is to promote a pawn. Usually, the first player to promote a pawn to a queen will win. Avoid isolating a pawn because protecting it from your opponent becomes more difficult; also avoid doubled pawns that restrict mobility.
Concerning rooks, place them where they can change the direction of the endgame. The seventh rank is often a desired location for a rook in this phase so it can attack undefended enemy pawns and block the enemy king from leaving the last rank. Meanwhile, don’t forget to keep your king safe.
A pawn promotion can dramatically affect the outcome of an endgame.
What To Do When You Are Winning
When you are ahead in material, an important goal is to exchange material to reduce your opponent’s opportunities to create counterplay. Sometimes an extra pawn is all that is required to maintain a winning advantage. If you have a passed pawn, push it!
Knowing basic checkmate patterns is important. Some endgames are known for the types of pieces that remain on the board, such as king-and-pawn and rook-and-pawn endgames. When you have a distinct advantage such as having a queen and king against an opponent’s king, can you end the game decisively? Try this ChessKid puzzle.
A queen with its king can easily checkmate an opponent’s lone king.
Other basic checkmate patterns include king and rook against a king, king and two bishops against a king, and king with a bishop and knight against a king.
Be aware of any potential tactics by your opponent to take away your advantage. Again, keep your king safe — and above all, avoid blunders!
Avoiding blunders in the endgame can help to preserve a winning position.
What To Do When You Are Equal
When you and your opponent have a balanced position, what should you do? Several general principles are key to give you a winning advantage:
- Place your pieces where they are active and can work together to exploit weaknesses in your opponent’s position.
- Look for tactics, such as double attack or discovered check, that can give you an advantage and swing the outcome of the game in your favor.
- Evaluate your opponent’s pieces and how they are protected. Can you create a battery to overwhelm a poor position? Learn from ChessKid's article “Beasting Battered Batteries.”
- Exercise care in moving pawns because they, unlike other pieces, cannot move backward. Keep them protected and evaluate how to promote them.
You need more than one piece to attack an enemy fortress. Set up a battery.
What To Do When You Are Losing
If you are losing, fight back and make winning as difficult as possible for your opponent. If you are down in material, avoid exchanges that serve only to strengthen your opponent’s position on the board.
Strong endgame players often can save a game from being lost.
- Look for a surprising checkmate pattern that can shock your opponent. How well do you know the pattern for a smothered mate as explained in this article?
- If your opponent has a passed pawn, can you block it? Even your king may be useful in blocking an advanced enemy pawn.
- Know the general ways to fight back such as exposing the enemy king, trying to set a trap, and making the position on the board more complicated.
If you cannot find a way to win, try for a draw. Can you keep your opponent from checkmating you with one of these techniques?
Do you know how to draw a game with a stalemate?
Other ways to draw include repetition, bishops of the opposite color, and 50 moves. Above all, be tricky.
How To Study Endgames
Learning endgames is important because endgames require a high degree of precision. Obviously, your ability to win is determined by your ability to checkmate your opponent’s king. Famous chess author Irving Chenev recommends: “If you want to win at chess, begin with the ending."
If you want to win at chess, begin with the ending.
—Irving Chenev
Knowing endgame patterns is important. How well do you know queen endings, common rook endings, and pawnless endings? Do you know that checkmate by a king with a knight against a lone king is impossible or that a king with only a bishop cannot checkmate a lone king?
Can you checkmate with a bishop and knight? Or with two bishops? Again, you should know how. Knowing basic checkmates gives you the confidence to be successful in other phases of the game. All ChessKid learning resources are valuable, but the endgame puzzles and lessons are particularly important.
Solving puzzles on ChessKid is a great way to develop endgame skills.
As you can tell from these examples, endgames deserve to be studied. ChessKid lessons include basic and unusual checkmates as well as endgame patterns.
Wrapping Up
Both beginning and experienced players should study the endgame. It is just as vital as the opening and middlegame. Start by watching the ChessKid video about rook vs. pawn endgames as FM FunMasterMike shows you how to win.