CHESMAYNE

no regrets                                                                                                                                                                                                                   “it’s over”

 

Endgame    :&EG

In the endgame :A and :B have only a few MPs/mps remaining, so these need to be used carefully. With fewer MPs/mps to attack the KI, he is less vunerable and can join in the melee. The endgame should not be viewed as the desert that follows the appetizer and main meal.    Advantages created in the middle game should come to fruition.  All of your artistic chess abilities will be needed to succeed.  Some of the elements that comprise the endgame are: the passed-PA [:pa-PA], centralization, management of your KI, activating your remaining MPs, particularly the ROs.  In the middle game your KI is a supernumerary.  In the endgame he becomes a principal actor.   He must be developed and brought to the front.  This is achieved by centering your KI in the middle of the board - ideally into B$A from where he can meander to the left or right.  Your KIs freedom of movement must be denied if possible to your opponent’s KI.  Often you will find that your KI fights for control of a particular cell.  Centering your other MPs is vital and not just a royal prerogative at this juncture in the storm. At other times your KI will need protection [shelter] from one of the PAs in his castled position [ie, PA5-6-7].  Combined play forms 75%+ of the endgame -  centralization, sheltering, bridge-building, hole-stopping etc.

It’s easiest to gain ++CM when your opponent has h/er KI on the edge of the board.   You can often bring about checkmate with QU1 or RO along the edge of the board where the KI stands - as shown in the diagram below.  This type of ++CM is called the ‘guillotine’.   Here A-QU gives +CH and the RO prevents B-KI escaping down the board.

“Whatever you do, do cautiously, and look to the end” - Oxford library of words and phrases

French: Endgame, ending - Finale, fin de partie.   Favourable ending - ‘finale favourable’. 

               Mps, become more important and promoting a mp can become a major aim at this point in the game.  Depending on how the MPs/mps are positioned on the board and how you use them the game can end in a ++CM or a draw. As more MPs/mps are exchanged the game approaches the endgame.  In this phase opportunities for ++CM become fewer especially if :A and :B have exchanged QUs.  At this point the KI can venture from his defended position to join in the attack or help to promote/enrobe a mp, which is one of the main objectives in the endgame.   Both sides KIs are brought into action.  When the :A and :B KIs are facing one another along a file with only one cell in between, the player who moved last is said ‘to have the opposition’.  The other KI moves back - retreats - or moves to one side.

               You can sometimes make a stalling KI move, called ‘losing a tempo’ in order to gain the opposition.  In a KI and PA endgame you can use the opposition to steer the enemy KI away from the enrobing/promoting cell and so allow your PA to become a MP.   Remember that in the endgame your KI changes from a MP to be defended to an attacking MP.  Keep MPs active.    Combine attack and defense as best you can.  The most common type of endgame is one in which :A and :B both have a RO and a few PAs and the KI.  With only one MP remaining, apart from your KI you need to use your RO to the full.   Try to place your RO [RO1 or RO2] on an open file [:of] where it will have the greatest influence.  A key to winning RO and PA endgames is to create a ‘passed PA’ [:pa-PA].   Your RO and PAs need to work very carefully to achieve this.

               Protect :pa-PAs [passed] and try to prevent your opponent creating a :pa-PA.  Many of the principles of RO and PA endgames also apply to KT, BS and QU endgames as well.   Be careful to keep your RO behind a :pa-PA or the RO will block the PAs advance.   Endgame play has been studied by chess players for many centuries and the outcome of endgames with certain combinations of MPs is well known.  It is well to bear in mind the winning combinations when exchanging MPs in the endgame.   In a ++CM net your MPs/mps are placed so that wherever your opponent’s KI moves it is trapped.  You will find it impossible to ++CM the opposing KI in the center of the board when you have only a few MPs, so it is imperative that you corner the opposing KI.  Sometimes the KI is ++CM in a XD or XL corner.  You will find that it is impossible to force ++CM in a non-dangerous corner - :ndc, a corner of the opposite colour to that of your BSs cell.  If your opponent’s KI is aiming for a non-dangerous corner cell try to force him across to a dangerous corner [:dc] so that you can form a ++CM net and win.  You cannot construct a ++CM net with a KI and BS, or KI and KT.   KI versus KI and PA is usually a draw.    As mentioned above the endgame of :L01 has been studied by chess analysts for donkey’s years and the outcome of certain combinations of MPs/mps is well known ie…….

01 KI, BS1 and BS2 versus KI.  An easy win.  Keep BS1 and BS2 together and corner the KI - trapping him in a ++CM net.

02 KI, BS1 and KT1 versus KI.  Can win, but tricky.  Force the KI into a corner cell of the same colour as BS1.

03 KI, BS and PA versus KI.  It all depends on whether the PA can be promoted.  If the BS and PA are of a different colour the game will end in a draw or stalemate.

04 KI and RO versus KI and BS.  Usually ends in stalemate.

05 KI and RO versus KI and KT.  This can be a draw if the KI and KT are kept together.

06 KI and BS or KT versus KI.  It is ‘not possible’ to ++CM with a KI and BS, or KI and KT.

07 KI and PA1 or PA8.  Always a draw as long as the KI can advance in front of the enemy PA preventing promotion.

08 KI, KT1 and KT2 versus KI.   Draw.   Two KTs ‘cannot’ force ++CM. 

09 KI and RO versus KI.  A win.  KI and RO force the opponent’s KI to one side of the board and give ++CM.

10 KI and QU versus KI and RO.  A win.  The KI and QU push the KI to the side of the board then fork the KI and RO with the QU.

11 French: Fin de partie - finale.

12 German: Endspiel.

13 Italian: Finale.

14 Spanish: Final.

 

15 Samuel Beckett’s play ‘Fin de Partie’ [Endgame] has two characters who are consigned to dustbins.

 The maximum number of moves required to ++CM from the worst possible position are as follows……. 

01 RO and BS versus KT1 and KT2 = 223 moves.

02 QU versus BS1 and BS2 = 71 moves.

03 QU and RO versus QU = 67 moves.

04 BS1 and BS2 versus KT = 66 moves.

05 QU versus KT1 and KT2 = 63 moves.

06 RO and BS versus RO = 59 moves.

Bible: “I am God, and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done”.

   

:EG objectives

It is not good policy to end a game prematurely.  Such an action equates with running away from the field of battle and escaping one’s duty.  If a position is grim by logical standards - what can you lose?   The grimness of your position can be a spur and an asset.  Adversity is a key that opens the door to true understanding - the spur to lift up your heart.  The good chess player does what s/he must, for you are a warrior in a hostile and dangerous environment.  Practical play not good appearances must be the measure of a well spent chess players life.  Often belief in yourself will have to be enough and patience your main virtue for progress cannot be hurried in higher directions.

            A local engagement is entered because both sides have objectives in the area which they consider paramount at that time. As play develops these objectives may be altered to meet changing circumstances but whatever the intentions of the players a stage will be reached where they will decide to switch to a different part of the board.  Sometimes this will be because one of the parties [:A or :B] has suffered a major reverse - perhaps the loss of the entire mps in a section of the board - but usually it will occur because the position there has been largely resolved and more worthwhile ventures are seen elsewhere.  Near the end there will remain scattered about the board these small unfinished fights.  It is at this point that the endgame is reached and it is the tidying up of these stray ends that constitutes the finale.

  

Skill required

The endgame holds the most interest for the mature player as its problems are never repetitive or stereotyped.  Great skill is required in the finale as positions of great complexity arise.  Inexperienced players consistently fail to find the right moves and are liable to tackle the problems remaining in the wrong sequence.   There is no better way to familiarise yourself with the power of the MPs/mps than to study positions where only a few MPs/mps remain on the board.   Their paths are unhampered by other MPs/mps and the uncluttered board allows them full scope.   Many players think that the endgame is dull and unimportant.  They reckon to win or lose in the middle game.   This is a wrong attitude.   As you gain experience you will find that more and more games are not finished by winning attacks.   Endgame skill settles things.  You should study the endgame and you will find that it is just as interesting as the opening and middle game.  All good players excel and enjoy endgame play.

The biggest mistake that the average player makes is to think that the endgame is dull and does not matter.   It is quite as interesting and important as the opening or middle game and all good players study it intensely.   It is true that it is not so complicated as the middle game but for just this reason it is possible to make very deep and subtle calculations in the endgame.  There is a great difference between the ordinary and the mature player in this phase. When you play an opponent of equal strength you will find as you improve that you often come down to an endgame situation - and if you learn to win when you have a small advantage and not to lose with a small disadvantage you will greatly improve your results.  So try to understand and enjoy the last few moves.

 

Improving your :EG

Improvement in endgame play comes from a greater knowledge of…

01 The outcome of the standard types of endgames. 

02 The particular way of playing the standard types of endgames. It is of the greatest importance to know the theoretical outcome of standard endgame positions because this knowledge will serve as a guide for the direction in which to steer the game when the position is still complex enough so that a choice is possible.

If for instance, in an endgame where you have RO2, KT2, and PA4 and the other side has RO1 and KT1 - you know under what circumstances RO2, KT2 and PA4 win against RO1. You therefore will have some idea of when to play for simplification by an exchange of the KTs.

  

   Minor piece terms

01  mp = minor piece

02  :pa-mp = passed

03  :fp-mp = farther passed

04  :ad-mp = advanced

05  :bl-mp = blocked

06  :di-mp = double isolated

07  :ha-mp = hanging

08  :de-mp = desperado

09  :ba-mp = backward

10  :is-mp = isolated

11  :do-mp = doubled

12  :dy-mp = decoy

See ‘Notation’ for further details.

            It is equally important to know how to play standard endgame positions correctly.  It is not sufficient for instance to be left with a KI and a PA against a KI in such a position so that the PA can be promoted/enrobed.  You must also know how to conduct the play so as to avoid stalemate and this is a technique that can be learned.  If it is not learned you risk missing a win whenever you find yourself in such a position. Of considerable importance in such endgames is an understanding of the meaning and the application of the concept of the ‘opposition’.  You should familiarize yourself with such standard endgames as…….

01 RO and PA against RO.

02 KI and PA against KI.

03 PA endgames where the opposition is important. 

04 With positions entailing the protected :pa-PA

.

05 The :fp-PA (father passed) and,

06 QU against :ad-PA etc. 

            Other endgames consist of a struggle between BS and PAs versus KT and PAs, where there are factors favoring the KT such as with PAs on only one side of the board or :bl-PAs (blocked) on the colour of the hostile BS or factors favoring the BSs, such as PAs on both sides of the board or :bl-PAs when the hostile PAs stand on the colour of your own BS etc.

  

:EG generalizations - positional superiority

The endgame is the phase which is reached after enough MPs/mps have come off the board to let the KI take part in the fight without running the danger of getting caught in a ++CM attack and is easiest to calculate in pure KI and mp endgames.  In most of these you will need to be only one mp ahead to win because you will usually be able to produce a :pa-mp [passed] whom you can promote before your adversary gets a chance to do likewise.  There are of course exceptions to this rule due to positional superiority.

mps on both wings

When there are mps on both wings the player who gets the KI to the central cells of the board first will have a decisive advantage.  Unless your opponent can stop you from invading h/er territory the KI is likely to get at the hostile mps and win one or more of them.  Situations in which the distribution of the mps across the board is uneven usually offer the most complex problems, win or loss depending upon a number of different factors which the examples given below will help to clarify.

:EGs with MPs and mps

Only examples of basic types of endgames that occur frequently enough to be of importance to the player are discussed here.  In this category these are endgames in which each player has only one MP or where two MPs fight against one MP or against a MP and one or more mps.

RO and PAs

More games result in RO and mp endgames than any other type [:L01].  Also, quite often pure mp endgames turn into endgames with QUs and one or more mps.  A type of situation which you must always keep in mind is when your opponent has a :pa-PA [passed] on R$07 whom you can keep from being promoted only by pinning the :pa-PA or by giving +PC [perpetual check]. 

 

Resigning   ++RS

Beginners often fail to resign a game even after losing a MP or more and sometimes their optimism is justified by their opponent’s ignorance of how to win a won game.  In most cases the correct strategy is self-evident.  It is obviously desirable to exchange as many MPs/mps as you can because the fewer MPs/mps remaining on the board the greater will be your fighting power in comparison with that of your opponent.  Forcing ++CM is naturally no problem for a player who has gained a RO or more.  But if you are only a MP ahead and must therefore promote a mp to win you must of course be careful when it comes to exchanging mps. The proper procedure depends upon the distribution of the mps.  When they are located on both wings it is usually simplest to give up one of them for one of your adversary’s mps and remain with a distant :pa-mp [passed].  When all mps are on the same side of the board it is often necessary to get two mps for the one mp as there are many situations in which the hostile KI can stop the :pa-mp and at the same time block the approach to h/er own mps.

Equal material

In endgames with equal material forces it is obvious that only a positional superiority can bring victory.  As is pointed out above such superiority is usually secured by the player who first gets h/er KI to one of the center cells [B$A].   In many cases you will then be able to invade your opponent’s territory, capture a mp and set up a :pa-mp before your opponent can do likewise.

Mobility - the promoting cell      :#$

Maintaining the greatest possible mobility for your MPs/mps is important in the endgame as in the other phases of the game. When you have a RO and a :pa-PA the latters advance increases the ROs mobility. For the same reason the defending player should attempt manoeuvering a RO in such a way so as to attack the :pa-mp from behind.   In the absence of the KIs the PA can then advance only if protected by the RO from the front which would of course block the way to the promoting cell.

BS and PAs

In endgames in which both players have a BS and PAs you must try to place your mps if possible in cells of the colour which your BS does not control.  Otherwise those cells become weak and may offer the opposing KI an opportunity for invasion.  In endgames with BSs of opposite colour and no other MPs this strategy is rarely feasible if the players have PAs on both sides of the board.  In this case the mps which are not within reach of their KI can be attacked by the opposing BS and can be forced to advance to cells of the colour of their own BS.

The passed PA          :pa-PA       :pa-mp

When you have a :pa-PA, push this mp as far as is safe because your opponents KI or another MP will in that way be tied down to the task of preventing the mp from promoting/enrobing.   This will leave you free to employ superior force on the opposite wing.

Sacrifice

Always look out for the possibility of a sacrifice by means of which a PA which has advanced as far as R05 or R06 but which is blocked by an opposing mp may be freed to advance to the promoting cell.  You will meet examples of this type in pure PA endgames.  They occur frequently in endgames with MP and PA because trading a PA for a PA is naturally no real sacrifice if the mp is a potential second queen - QU2.

Basic :EGs - how to proceed

Some players do not appreciate the importance of learning ‘how to proceed’ during the endgame.  They do not realize how much their playing strength would improve if they familiarized themselves with the few basic endgames discussed in this section.  Naturally these represent only a very small part of the many different types of endgame situations which occur in actual play.  But they will give you enough information to gradually evolve a good understanding of what to play for in games in which neither player is able to develop a decisive attack on the KI.

RO and mp

Players who compete in competition must of course have a much more detailed knowledge of endgame tactics and must be especially well versed in the proper handling of the different types of RO and mp endgames with which they are likely to be confronted as they occur more frequently than any other endgames and often require very subtle manoeuvering. This is true particularly in the cases of RO and BS or RO and KT versus RO or RO and PA against RO. 

01   Ranks R$

02   Files F$

03   Diagonals F$

04   Block B$

The endgame is the most important phase in chess and a knowledge of this part of the game is important.  In the opening and middle game you can recover from a mistake but in the final stages it will mean your demise.  Your strength in the endgame when D$, F$ and R$ are all open will be greatly enhanced.  You will be able to brush aside mps.  The only real opposition will come from the MPs.  The QUs checkmating powers together with the fork should be brought into play.

 

:EG compositions

Chess problems have little or no value in increasing the strength of a chess player since they have their own artificial conventions that make them quite different from that of the game itself.   Endgame studies are on the other hand of great use and interest to a player.  They cast a bright light on the resources of the MPs/mps and a knowledge of endgame studies will increase the imaginative powers of many a player.  In addition many of these are interesting in themselves.   Some of these studies are complex and difficult but some great composers have produced the simplest and these are amongst the best ever composed.

Types of :EG

To mention some of the most important types of endgame……. 

01 Two PAs unsupported by the KI. 

02 Positions with equal mps. 

03 Positions with equal PAs that are not necessarily drawn.

MP :EGs

MP finales are endgames in which QUs, ROs, BSs, KTs etc, and mps take part.  I will mention only those cases where neither side has more than one PA left.   If you understand these then you will have a good idea of how to play in the more complicated cases when there are several PAs left on the board.

01 KT1 or KT2 versus PA cannot win.   In general the mp cannot be held by a KT alone if they both reach R06 in safety. 

02 BS1 or BS2 against PAs.  A lone BS can draw against two PAs whether the latter are connected or :is-PAs and may be able to hold three connected PAs if they have not advanced too far.  A BS finds it much easier to deal with :pa-PAs than the KT.   This is because the BS is a far-ranging MP while the KT is a short-stepper.  A BS is never too far away to reach :pa-PAs and can control them from a distance.   KT1 or KT2 on the other hand must come right down to the scene of action and then the PAs are likely to harass the KT.

 

 

Having one extra PA

Usually you can win with one extra PA in endgames where each side has a PA.  You will see, however that this is not so frequently true for BS of opposite colour  endgames.  Here are the main things that you should try to do first…….

01 Bring your KI into the play as quickly as possible.  his is essential in almost all endgames.

02 If you have the extra PA, try to force a :pa-PA.   You can support this mp with your KI and PA and force the opposing KI to retreat.  Then you should be able to promote your PA, win the opponents PA for it or get your KI in amongst the enemy mps.

03 If you are a PA down try to exchange off PAs.  If you can reach a position where your opponent has just one PA you avoid mp exchanges.  Endgames with PAs only are the easiest to win if you are a PA ahead.  If you have better placed PAs or KI or a more effective mp the game may still be won.  An :is-PA - those with no neighbor to protect them are usually a weakness. A KI in better play than the enemy KI may easily be decisive.  You will learn with experience to recognize these and other signs of good and bad endgame positions.

KT and PAs       versus       KT and PAs

The traditional KT being a short-stepping MP takes a number of moves to cross the board.    In endgames with PAs on both sides of the board you have to watch carefully for chances to sacrifice PAs or even a KT to push a PA through to promotion before an opposing KT can be brought to the scene of the action.  The KT is very effective against :is-PAs.  First of all the KT may be able to win such PAs but there is another less obvious reason which applies perhaps even more in the middle game than in the endgame.  The KT has a strong post in the cell immediately in front of an :is-PA, especially if the PA is near the center of the board. The :is-PA cannot advance and gets in the way of the KI or other MPs/mps which might drive the KT back.  You will not absorb points like this until you have come across them in practice many times.  Look out for them and you will gradually make them part of your repertoire.

BS1 and BS2 can only move on cells of one colour hence we get the most important question in BS endgames - what coloured cells are best for the PAs?   Immature players always give the wrong answer to this question.  They want to keep their PAs on the same coloured cells as BS1 or BS2 so that they can protect them.  They also want to keep the PAs in cells of opposite colour to the enemy BS.  There are two reasons why this is wrong.  Understanding the properties of ‘opposite coloured BSs’ is a great help in knowing when to exchange mps.

BS and PAs         versus           BS and PAs

PAs get in the way of a friendly BS.  With BS and PAs all in cells of one colour you have no control over cells of the opposite colour and your opponent can stop you making any headway.   There is a rule covering this - if it is safe to do so ie, without early loss of PAs keep your PAs in opposite coloured cells to your own BS and on the same coloured cells as the opposing BS.  Of course if both BSs operate on cells of the same colour the two parts of this rule are contradictory.   In that case it is usually right to be guided by the first part of the rule and keep your PAs in cells of opposite colour to the BSs.

            If you carry out this plan both BSs will have equal freedom to move among the PAs and if the PAs advance both sides can control the cells to which they move. While these two factors balance out you have some control over cells of both colours denied to your opponent and your PAs are safe while your opponents PAs may be subject to attack if placed in cells of the ‘same colour’ as the BSs.  This is particularly the case if the PAs become locked when it is almost always better to be the player with the PAs on ‘opposite coloured’ rather than on the ‘same coloured’ cells. When BSs are of ‘opposite colour’ the inability to force an exchange of MPs and even more, the difficulty of controlling cells of the colour of the opposing BS make the game hard to win.   Other factors being equal an advantage of one PA is rarely decisive and even a two PA advantage may not result in victory.  When the PAs are separated you will have a greater winning chance. 

BS and PAs          versus            KT and PAs

Other things being equal: is a KT or a BS the better MP in the endgame? You can only find the answer to this difficult question by looking at the weak and strong points of these two MPs.  You have already seen that the BS is most effective along open diagonals unhampered by PAs.  The traditional KT is best on a crowded board where they can hop about more easily than any other MP.  In the endgame therefore an ‘open board’ favors the BS while the KT is better when the position is blocked by the mps.

  

The KT

The advantage of KT1 or KT2 is increased if there are useful cells - around the center of the board - B$A or B$B - on which they can be posted with safety from attack.  Once more you can see why it is wrong for the player with the BS to keep PAs in cells of the same colour.  If you do so you will impede the movement of your BS and give the KT strong cells of the opposite colour from which to operate.

Advantages of the BS

On an open board the BSs advantage is increased if the players want to operate on both flanks.  This is especially true in unbalanced positions where there is an extra PA for :A on one side of the board and for :B on the other.  Now the BS can help the PAs to advance and at the same time defend against the advance of the enemy PAs.  The short ranged KT cannot manage both tasks at once.

Summary

In favor of the BS: open positions/unbalanced positions. In favor of the KT: blocked positions or positions with strong central points for the KT. Overall there is little to choose between these two MPs.  Players of the 19th century thought a KT better than a BS but modern players have a slight preference on balance for the BS. For practical purposes they may be considered as of equal value.

RO versus PAs

RO1 or RO2 can win against two :pa-PAs which have not advanced beyond R05 when the KIs are too distant to affect the play. RO1 against a mp protected by the KI is quite a common endgame.  You get it when your opponent gives up a RO to stop your last PA from being promoted/enrobed.  It is usually a win.  However exact play is often necessary.  A study of such positions is beyond the scope of this section but you will have to learn how to win them.

 EGs in which both sides have a RO

Apart from the KI, RO1 and RO2 are the last MPs to come into active play and often remain for a long time in safety on the back rank.  For this reason RO1 and RO2 often survive after all the other MPs have been exchanged.  RO and mp endgames are the most frequent of all in actual play.  They are also very tricky and provide innumerable difficulties and subtleties which have caused mature players to go astray.  It is only possible here to examine a very few positions and to give general guidance on the principles to be adopted when they are encountered.

Both sides having a RO

First consider two cases where there is only one PA on the board but each side has RO2.   In attack you should advance the KI to the promoting cell rather than press straight on with the PA.   In defense also try to get your KI to the enrobing cell.  You use RO2 in two ways: try first of all to stop the advance of the enemy KI.  Keep RO2 if you can on R03 to act as a barrier.  Once the enemy PA has got to the 6th rank you use a different plan.  Move RO2 down to $R07 and $R08 and start checking the KI as this MP tries to advance.

General principles

It would take a separate volume to go properly into the problems of endgames where each side has RO1 or RO2 and a number of PAs. All I can do here is to set out certain general principles that usually apply…….

01 As in all endgames the KI must play an active part in attack or defense.

02 The best position of all for RO1 or RO2 is on R07 hemming in the enemy KI.  Often this is enough to win the game other things being equal and it may well be worthwhile to give up a PA to establish RO1 or RO2 on R07.  Another strong position for either attacker or defender is behind an advancing PA.

03 Try to defend by counter attack.  RO1 and RO2 are bad at passive defense so keep them as active as possible. An excellent position is on R07 or R08. Then as the enemy KI moves up the board in attack you can carry out a long series of +CHs from behind and possibly also mop up some mps that your opponent leaves unguarded in the rear.

04 Endgames with all the PAs on one side of the board are usually drawn even when one player has an extra PA. With PAs on both sides of the board the player with an extra PA usually wins.

 This is because you use the extra PA to establish a :pa-PA [passed] and then the defending KI and RO1 or RO2 are needed to stop promotion.  If there are PAs on the other side of the board your KI will then be free to move in and attack them.  However if all the PAs are on the same side of the board the defending KI may be able to prevent this penetration while still keeping the :pa-PA under control.  So if you are a PA down try to exchange off all the mps on the other side of the board.

05 Except for the case of BSs of opposite colour endgames with RO1 and RO2 on the board are harder to win when you are a PA ahead than any other. It is therefore a good principle to exchange off RO1 and RO2 when you are ahead in PAs but keep them on when your opponent has extra PAs.

:EG theory

There are many endgames that have not been discussed at all such as those with QU1 and PAs or with ROs and PAs.  Remember that the endgame is both interesting and very important and to play as hard in the endgame as you do in the rest of the game.  You will obtain more wins if you do.  Mastery of the endgame is the hallmark of every mature chess player.

The KI in the :EG

The cordon is drawn tighter and the KI is forced to the edge or the corner of the board [B$D, where ++CM occurs.  :A tries to drive the defending B-KI to the edge of the board by bringing up A-KI so that he helps with a ++CM attack.   Instead or as well you may try to corral KT1 or KT2 if the defender has such a MP.   :B in turn resists being driven and uses his/her MPs to exclude, harass or restrict A-KI.  When :B has two MPs s/he then sets up a barrier excluding A-KI.  If :B has RO2 or QU1 you harass A-KI preventing the KIs approach.  When :B has only one MP you restrict the enemy KI and prevent this MP standing opposite B-KI after which this MP might be driven back or be checkmated by A-RO2.

PA :EGs

If you are a mp up it is generally easier to win without MPs than with them and you will therefore seek exchanges.  If you are a PA down your opponent may force the MPs off.  In either case you want to know your chances in a PA endgame.

This sidebar shows what happens when there are three or fewer PAs on the board…….

            A-KI tries to control certain advanced cells so that the KI can move up his PAs or so that the KI can attack an enemy PA.  The KIs weapons are…….

01   Zugzwang

02   The opposition

03   Diagonal manoeuvres

04   Triangulation

These terms are explained elsewhere in the dictionary but they may also be used by :B.  In effect the KIs are trying to outwit one another.

            The decoy [:dy-mp] is the most prevalent of all endgame themes. It is not so much a question of two KIs locked in mortal combat - instead the :pa-PA [passed] lures the defending KI away from the main battle-front.  Some mps have one manoeuvre of occasional importance - their first move option [FMO] of advancing one [AOM] or two cells. 

  

KI and PAs         versus          KI

Excepting their double leap [FMO, paso-doble] a PA moves one cell at a time, the same as the KI.  This leads us to a principle: ‘the square of the PA’.   To have a chance of stopping a PA the defending KI must get within an area of the board described as the ‘square of the PA’. A square may be projected on either side of a PA on any file and as the PA advances so the square contracts.   The square for an unmoved PA is the same as if the PA were on R03.

Adjudications

Many players who read this section will have less experience with endgames than with other aspects of chess strategy and tactics.  Due to time limits games are broken off before they reach their conclusion and many of these games go to adjudication just when the finale is under way, sometimes even in stodged up middle games with interlocked mp chains. To this we must add the fact that some players simply do not like the endgame and prefer to divide their time studying opening variations and traps. Adjudications are a fact of life and so are player’s personal preferences and dislikes.  If you find your game is heading towards the endgame of QU1 and PA against QU1 it is odds-on that you will not actually have to win it.  In most cases, the position will go for adjudication and the adjudicator will consult a standard reference book to make his/her decision/judgement.

:EG knowledge

The basic argument of this sidebar is that the amount of routine endgame material you need to learn is limited.  To know all the niceties of when RO1 and PA against RO2 is a win and when it is draw is of little practical value.  By the time you reach such a position you will either have forgotten the analysis or else there will be time to look it up during an adjournment.  The types of endgames which will repay practical study are those which you can aim for right from the opening.  This applies to many BS versus KT situations rather than those which essentially occur as the result of chance features in the position as in most QU endgames or PA endgames and some RO endgames.

:EGs

The theory is that BS1/BS2 versus KT1/KT2 endgames with or without RO1/RO2 on the board offer very good practical winning chances to the player with BS1/BS2 when the PA chain is flexible and the board is open while KT1/KT2 has excellent prospects of scoring when there are fixed and rigid PA fronts.  In the BS versus KT situation some players opt for the active BS while others will aim for the restrained type where the BS is blocked by a PA wall and the KT can exercise its innate freedom to manoeuvre.  It is quite possible to aim for either type of endgame according to the position but in practice many players will have a preference for the KT or BS.   The endgame techniques should be at your fingertips even if you cannot play them quite well enough just yet.

  

:EG examples

The emphasis in this section is on the endgame in relationship to earlier stages of the game.   Another aspect of endgame skill is simply to be alert for accidental tactical opportunities which occur especially in mp promotion situations.  Such tactical chances can be easily overlooked.

Using your KI

A fundamental principle of endgame play is to use your KI actively.  In the endgame the KI is rarely in danger from your opponent’s few remaining mps and can usually be employed aggressively to attack the enemy mps.  Inexperienced players often keep their KI on a rear cell in the endgame.  Their fear is a snap ++CM but it is usually unjustified. In fact the failure to combine the KI with other MPs and/or mps in the endgame is one of the basic weaknesses of many endgames.

KI shepherds home a :pa-PA

That the :pa-PA must be pushed is a well-worn but slightly misleading tale of endgame lore.  The successful advance of a :pa-PA [passed] normally requires support and the KI makes an ideal assistant.  He can operate aggressively against a solitary enemy defender and is specially effective when RO1, KT1 or BS1 is the defending MP trying to blockade a PA seeking high honours.  Then the KIs ability to attack RO1 or KT1 from a diagonal or BS1 via a rank can force the blockader to retreat and set the :pa-PA free to advance to the enrobing cell.

KI versus KI

The basic idea is to march your KI up the board as far as R06 so as to join in a ++CM attack against an opposing KI stranded on the top rank. Sometimes a KI advance while the enemy KI is stranded at the edge [B$D] can win material.  Often this is combined with ++CM threats.  At other times the KI defends against :pa-PAs [passed] by counter-attack or by using a blockade.

  

When to exchange

Cashing in on a material advantage and knowing the right time to exchange MPs/mps are key factors in successful winning endgame play.  In many endgames where you are a mp up the basic approach is to keep your opponent under pressure while seizing chances gradually to reduce the MPs/mps on the board. Every simplification without disadvantage to your own position means that the relative value of your own material superiority is greater.  Mature players are accurate in these situations.  The chief error is to exchange prematurely – to go into an even simpler endgame without first strengthening your position. Such mistakes are caused by instinctive and natural caution.   The three aspects of exchanging are…….

01 One side has a material advantage and exchanges correctly keeping the defender under pressure.

02 One side has a material advantage but mis-times the exchanges at the cost of positional disadvantage.

03 Exchanging in situations where material is level.

        :EG

The endgame is the final stage of play with few remaining MPs/mps.  The KI can become an important MP in this phase of the game.  It is the part of the game that is often neglected by the chess player as it is considered not to be as interesting as the opening or middle game.  The difference in chess players strength becomes obvious in this phase of the game. Endgame technique should come to the fore.  There is as much enjoyment to be had from the endgame but many players throw a resignation or a ++CM away by a sloppy performance.  The ability to win a won game is an essential attribute for a chess player. Sometimes a game reaches a simplified position where only a few MPs and mps remain on the board.

        

:EG attributes

Often a surprising amount of play is possible from a sterile position.  It is also possible to win drawn endgames and for this you need technique, determination, patience and stamina which are important qualities for the aspiring endgame player.  Tactical cut and thrust can also arise in the endgame.  As the forces are fewer the complications tend to be finely balanced, requiring accurate calculation as a mistake can be terminal.  Not all endgames are concerned with routine evaluation of material or positional advantage. If calculation was all that was required chess computers would be strong in this part of the game.  The reverse is in fact the case indicating that sound positional judgment [something computers find very hard to do well] is required.  It is not possible to calculate everything and you must learn to assess the likely outcome correctly.   Adoption of the correct strategic plan is an important part of the approach to endgame play.   Sacrificial play may be involved.  The sacrifices are not normally as extravagant as in the middle game but in relation to the material on the board they are proportionally often much greater.    The risk factor is higher as the margin for error is significantly smaller than in the middle game.

Summary: a few practical hints should help to improve your :EG play…….

01 Do not hurry an end game as mistakes cannot normally be rectified. 

02 Adopt a methodical approach.  Form a logical plan and execute it systematically.

03 Analyze accurately.  Calculation of variations is an essential prerequisite for successful endgame play.  The tree of variations is normally less than in earlier stages of the game.  Accuracy is essential.

04 Visualize the final or required position.  Start from the end position and work backwards.

05 Technical knowledge is a must.  Sound knowledge of the basic elements of endgame play is essential.

06 Enjoy endgame play - it is not a chore but an integral part of your game.

  

Promotion of mps

The push of a :pa-mp through to QU2 is a theme at the heart of many chess endgames and it illustrates how one of the key features of successful play is surprise.

            Surprise in the opening means a prepared repertoire variation taking your opponent out of the known theory and gaining a permanent initiative or positional advantage as the reward for your pre-game homework.

            Surprise in the middle game means tactical play and combinative attack which demonstrates that your opponents KI was less well defended than s/he thought.

            The most important surprise situation in the endgame occurs in the final stages of pushing through a mp to QU2 against a stubborn defense.  There are many situations where a single :fa-mp [far-advanced] or a 3 to 2 or, 4 to 3 mp majority on either flank has just enough time to become decisive before your opponents defensive forces can blockade or surround your position.    A mp ahead which in the :&O or :MG may be a marginal or dubious plus spells in the endgame the difference between a win or a draw or loss.  During routine technical endgames promotion is the last stage of the mopping up process. When your KI has successfully invaded the enemy position and can shepherd a mp through to promotion backed by an active against a passive RO1 or RO2 then the win is not difficult.  A player with a sense for QU combinations can often set them up many moves beforehand. Examples of promotion occur in the pure mp endgames.   Sacrificing one or more mps to create a :pa-mp [passed] of your own with a free run home is the object to aim for.

The opposition

:vo-KI         :ho-KI        :do-KI

The opposition is a standard winning idea in mp endgames.  When two KIs face each other with a single empty cell intervening, whoever has the move must retreat or step aside. The opponent is said to have the opposition and this factor of forcing your opponent to concede space is a key idea in KI and mp endgames.  Zugzwang - roughly translatable as ‘movebound’ occurs when a player has only losing moves available and the opposition is simply a special form of zugzwang.

Winning and drawing principles

I lost, but the game was drawn’ and ‘the game was won, but I drew’ are two sayings used after many games.  The knowledge of a few basic winning and drawing techniques does much to help avoid needlessly loosing.

  

++ST traps

Many examples of endgame play contain a clear moral - do not resign too quickly.  This is not to advocate playing on with a large amount of material down right up until ++CM but rather that before resigning it is worthwhile having a good look at the position just to see that there is not a surprising resource.  This is in order if your KI has only a very few moves available and especially if he is already in a stalemate position.  Three other techniques concerning mps in endgames are…….

 

01 Triangulation 02 Feint 03 Zugzwang

.......are among the most important situations for conducting an endgame well.   KT and mp versus KT is usually a draw as the KT can either be sacrificed for the mp or blockade the mp.

BS endgames can be divided into two main groups, A-BS1 versus B-BS1 [same colour] and A-BS1 versus B-BS2 [opposite colour].

01 A-BS1 versus B-BS1 same colour. :sc

02 A-BS1 versus B-BS2 opposite colour. :oc

03 A-BS2 versus B-BS1 opposite colour. :oc

04 A-BS2 versus B-BS2 same colour. :sc

When BSs are of the same colour a lead of two mps is a win for almost all practical purposes.  Whether a win is possible with a single mp usually depends on whether the weaker sides KI can establish a blockade.  When the defending KI is in front of the mp and cannot be driven away the game is drawn.  With A-BS1 versus B-BS2 [opposite colour] the mp blockade is the defensive manoeuvre in endgames with BSs of opposite colour.   If the weaker side can blockade the mps it is generally a draw otherwise the player with the material advantage has a chance to win. The usual endgame of BS1 and two disconnected :pa-mps [passed] versus BS2 [opposite colour] is a win if the mps are separated by two or more empty files but it all depends on the position of BS1 and mps.

Summary

01 Activate your own MPs/mps.  This applies equally here as it does in all endgames.

02 Attempt to restrict your opponents MPs/mps especially KT1 and KT2.

03 Avoid situations in which KT1 or KT2 can be exchanged for BS1 or BS2 to reach a drawn RO and mp ending.

04 Use BS1 or BS2s superiority over the KT.  This superiority is generally emphasized by the presence of RO1 and RO2 to force the defender to make concessions.

05 Stabilize your mp chain so that the defender’s mps are vulnerable to attack by RO1, RO2, BS1 and BS2.

06 Infiltrate with your KI.

07 Maintain the initiative and keep the defender’s chances of active counter play to a minimum.

08 Offer to swap RO1 and RO2 in situations where the exchange will lead to a won BS1 or BS2 versus KT1 or KT2 endgame.

Completed moves

There is one thing that never returns to chess - the moves that have been made.  Naturally there are cases where a move seen to be unfavorable can be remedied by the next move without visible damage but such cases are not frequent and in the endgame occur very seldom.  More than any other phase of the game the endgame demands of the players the greatest accuracy.  There is no such thing as chance and what seems to be blind chance in fact arises from the deepest causes.   Books tell us that in the endgame the KI is a strong MP.  However such empirical statements should be interpreted with a grain of salt and must be viewed in a proper critical light.  Fortune is blind and distributes opportunities indiscriminately.  One person sees them and another does not.   Even a weak position has hidden possibilities and the apparently strong combination has its weaknesses.  What you miss in the present board position eternity will not offer you again.

Endgame Attributes

Endgame play.  An endgame has one or more of the following attributes……. 

01 There are few MPs on the board, so ++CM is impossible or very difficult.

02 There are few or no mps on the board.

03 One side will need to promote a mp before expecting to ++CM.

Advice

01 This final part of the game is as important as the opening and middle game.

02 Bad endgame play can lose or draw a won game.

03 Pressure of time and/or tiredness can cause careless moves that promote defeat.

04 There are certain techniques [such as a KI and PA versus KI or KI and QU versus KI] which should be known.

05 Very careful counting is needed for promotion.

06 In the endgame the KI does not need to be protected as there is little danger of ++CM. In fact the KI becomes a valuable attacking MP.

 

07 In general, endgames become easier to win as more MPs are exchanged but more difficult as more PAs are exchanged.   Therefore if you are mp up try to exchange MPs.  If you are a mp down try to exchange mps.

08 Opposition: the side not having the move is said to ‘have the opposition’. Loss of the initiative.  :A has to be careful.   Nobody likes having the opposition - but sooner or later the pendulum has to swing the other way.

09 Outside Passed PA [:op-PA]. An outside passed PA is of great use in acting as a decoy to lure the opposing KI away from the defense of his own mps.  An example of this is a solo PA1 on F$A while the other PAs are on F$F, G and H.

10 Endgame Tactics.  KI: centralize your KI and/or bring him into your opponent’s part of the board as soon as possible.   Use your KI as an attacking MP [not passive].

11 Zugzwang: is a German word meaning ‘compulsion to move’.  It is used in chess to mean a position in which all legal moves are disadvantageous.

12 RO: belongs behind passed PAs [:pa-PAs].

Other factors include……

13 Building a bridge

14 Breakthrough

15 BSs of opposite colour

16 BS versus KT.

17 Perpetual check [+PC]

The endgame is the last part of a chess game when most of the MPs and mps have been traded off.  It is the phase when there are few MPs/mps remaining on the board.  The PAs may be moved forward in the hope of being promoted to a MP ie, QU2, BS3, KT3, RO3 etc.

Certain :EG positions must be known

01 KI and QU versus KI…….

The commonest endgame on :L01 is KI and QU against a lone KI.  This almost always arises through one player promoting the last PA to QU2.  The ++CM with KI and QU is easy.    The two MPs co-operate to drive the KI into B$D and then ++CM is easily effected.   The rule for driving the KI to the edge is: at each step move whichever MP is doing least, that is, whichever is helping least to confine the enemy KI.  This rule applies even more to the next three endgames discussed. Once the KI is on the edge great care must be taken not to give stalemate which concedes your opponent a draw on :L01.  This risk is eliminated by moving QU2 onto R07 as soon as the lone KI is thus confined until the other KI can move into position for QU2 to ++CM.   Stalemate occurs when QU and KI are both on R06 with the lone KI on the edge of the board [B$D].

                 02 KI and RO1 or RO2 versus KI:

with KI and RO against KI, an unusual endgame, the procedure is exactly the same as with KI and QU but a little slower.

03 KI, BS1 and BS2 versus KI:

with KI and two BSs against KI, the KI must be driven not just into B$D but to a corner cell of B$D before ++CM can be effected.

04 KI, BS and KT versus KI:

the ++CM with KI, BS and KT is fairly difficult to bring about in the 50 moves allowed but the endgame is very rare.  The KI must be driven to a corner cell in B$D of the colour [XD or XL] on which the BS moves.

05 KI, KT1 and KT2 versus KI:

a KI and two KTs cannot ++CM against a lone KI, without a blunder by the defender.

 

06 KI and PA versus KI…….

KI and PA against KI is the most important endgame on :L01 of Chesmayne.  From it usually arises the endgame KI and QU2 versus KI already dealt with above.  It is important to know whether you can promote a PA to QU2. If you cannot the endgame is a draw.   To promote a PA usually needs the KIs help but sometimes a PA may race through unaided.  To tell if a PA can #QU2 unaided count the moves needed to be promoted.  Then see if the opposing KI can reach the promoting cell in that number of moves.  When each side can force a PA through to #QU2, see which will be first simply by counting up the number of moves each one needs for the purpose.  If the PA cannot #QU2 unaided try to avoid moving the PA at all until you have advanced your KI as far as you can in front of the PA. Your aim should be to take the ‘opposition’ with your KI in front of your PA.  To take the ‘opposition’ means to place your KI on the same file as the enemy KI with one cell separating them.  The enemy KI is then forced to move sideways or backwards allowing your KI to move forwards and make the way safe for the PA.  Always follow the rule: advance your KI as far as you safely can before moving your PA.

07 Other rules: if you can get your KI to R06 in front of your PA it is a win with or without the ‘opposition’.

08 Whenever the enemy KI can move to the cell immediately in front of the PA the game is a draw.

09 As you have so few MPs see that you make the most of each one.  For this purpose try to avoid having to use a MP for a defensive task especially RO1 or RO2. It is only when aggressively posted that a MP pulls full weight.

10 Remember that in the endgame the KI is a fighting MP.   Make use of him.

11 A ROs goal is R07.  Here they attack PAs which cannot possibly call on other PAs for assistance.   RO1 or RO2 here is particularly strong if at the same time they confine the enemy KI to the back rank.

12 If you have a BS whether the enemy has one or not, place your PAs on the opposite colour to that occupied by your own BS. To beginners this rule for BSs and PAs sounds foolish because it deprives the PAs of the BSs support.  However on opposite colours the BS and PAs together command more cells. They do not overlap. It is the same reason that makes two BSs so strong.

13 Remember: the :pa-PA [passed] is the soul of the endgame.  A :pa-PA advanced to R06 or R07 is often worth a MP.

14 With an advantage keep PAs on both wings: this helps to avoid a draw.  If there are PAs on one wing only the advantage of one PA extra is more often than not insufficient for a win.   Hence Reuben Fine’s excellent rule: for winning, exchange MPs, for drawing exchange mps.

15 Ground rules of the endgame. If you have a :pa-PA try to promote the PA.  If your opponent has a :pa-PA try to block any progression.  KI, BS and PA1 or PA8 will draw against a lone KI if the lone KI reaches the promotion cell [:#$]. The exception is when the BS is on the same coloured cell as the promotion cell when a win will result.  RO and PA endgames are difficult to play and whole books have been written about the techniques necessary.

16 The endgame of KI, RO and PA against KI and RO is most often drawn if the defending KI controls the PAs promotion/enrobing cell and is usually a loss if not.

Links…….

Endings (general) 

Study’s & Problems

Rook Endings

Essential checkmate patterns

General advice on the endgame

Endspiele

Castling

Winning Drawn Endgames

Bishop vs pawns, bishop vs bishop, bishop vs knight

Bishop Endings   Compensation for material?

Exchanging into King endings

Exchanging into King endings

Double Bishop Endgames