After a player has mastered basic checkmates, there is much more to consider in the endgame! The endgame is generally believed to start when most of the pieces have been traded, especially if the queens are traded. Usually in the endgame it is not possible to start a mating attack, and players instead try to win material or promote a pawn.
What happens when two kings face off? Learn how to use your king to control critical squares and help a pawn promote - all with this one idea, the opposition.
Advanced King Play & Opposition
Think you know about king opposition? FM Mike Klein cranks up the intensity in this advanced lesson.
FM Mike Klein shows you what happens when one side gets a queen just before the other can promote his pawn. Can the queen win?
What happens in chess when you have no good moves? It's called zugzwang, and it's an important part of many endgames.
Pawn Breakthroughs on the Wing
What’s the best place to break your pawns through to the end of the board? The wing!
Learn about the importance of using the king actively in the endgame and other special cases.
Knight Versus Bishop in the Endgame
The knight and bishop are two pieces with about the same value, but differing advantages and disadvantages. When a knight battles a bishop in the endgame, things can be very interesting!
Sometimes you need to hold a fortress, not allowing your opponent to make any progress. This often happens in the endgame.
The Principle of Two Weaknesses
One weakness on the chessboard may not be enough to win, but two weaknesses are almost always decisive. FM Mike Klein shows you how to spot and create multiple weaknesses, ramping up the difficulty as he teaches each position.
"Simplifying" the game means trading down from a more complex to a "simpler" position. You might simplify the game to make it easier to win a won game, secure a clear advantage, or force an easy draw.
Rooks are the pieces most likely to survive the chaos of the middlegame, so rook endgames are the most common kind of endgame.
When all the pawns disappear from the board, a special kind of endgame results. If there is no longer a chance to queen a pawn, then it becomes all about whether you can force checkmate.
Learn how "geometry" can help you win in the endgame. It's all about drawing a triangle to trick your opponent into moving first!
Endgames with only queens on the board are particularly tricky, due to the queen's great mobility. Perpetual check, strong passed pawns, and calculating the possible exchange of queens are big themes in this situation.
Endings with only bishops and pawns are fundamental for endgames in general. They may seem simple but they are full of hidden ideas.
Knight endings are trickier and more magical than the "arithmetic" of bishop endings!
A time-tested method of converting an advantage is simplification. Trading pieces to use our advantage and clarify the situation is the grandmaster way to play!
Capablanca, the Endgame Maestro
Jose Raul Capablanca is known as one of the best endgame players in the history of chess. His play is smooth and simple, with his opponents often losing without even making any obvious mistakes!