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5 Chess Endgames Every Player Should Know

Opposition, the rule of the square, key squares, and the Lucena and Philidor rook endgames - the endgame knowledge that saves and wins the most games.

· 3 min read

José Raúl Capablanca, world champion from 1921 to 1927, told students to study endgames first. In the endgame there are few pieces, so you can see clearly what each one does - and a handful of exact positions come up again and again. Know them, and you will win games others draw and draw games others lose.

These five are the most useful. (If you cannot yet mate with a queen or rook, start with the basic checkmates.)

1. The opposition

In king and pawn endings, the kings often stand face to face with one square between them. The player who does not have to move is said to have the opposition - and it usually decides the game. The king that must move has to step aside and let the other one through.

The kings face each other on e5 and e7. Black is to move, so Black must give way - and the white king walks to f6, in front of its pawn, and wins. With White to move, Black keeps the opposition and draws.

Moves: 1... Kd7 2. Kf6

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The lesson for the attacker: get your king in front of your pawn. For the defender: keep your king in front of the pawn and take the opposition whenever the enemy king comes close.

2. Key squares

Every pawn has key squares: if the attacking king reaches one, the pawn queens, whoever is to move. For a pawn on its 2nd, 3rd or 4th rank, the key squares are the three squares two ranks in front of it. For the e4 pawn above, they are d6, e6 and f6 - which is why 2. Kf6 won.

So in a king and pawn ending, do not ask "can I push my pawn?" Ask "can my king reach a key square?"

The exception is the rook's pawn (on the a- or h-file). If the defending king reaches the corner in front of it, the game is a draw - even with the attacking king next to the pawn - because there is no room to go round.

3. The rule of the square

Can a king catch a passed pawn running to promote? There is no need to count moves. Imagine a square with one side running from the pawn to its promotion square. If the defending king is inside the square - or can step into it on its move - it catches the pawn.

The pawn's square runs from a4 to e8. Black to move steps into it with Ke5 - and from then on the king stays inside the shrinking square and wins the pawn. If it were White's move, a5 would leave the king outside, and the pawn would queen.

Moves: 1... Ke5 2. a5 Kd6 3. a6 Kc7 4. a7 Kb7

Open this position on the analysis board

Remember to add a square if the pawn is still on its starting rank, since its first move can go two squares.

4. The Lucena position: how to win a rook endgame

Rook endgames are the most common endgames of all. The Lucena position is the most important winning one: you have a rook and a pawn on the seventh rank, your king is on the promotion square in front of it, and the enemy king is cut off from the pawn.

Your king cannot get out, because the enemy rook checks it from behind. The winning method is called building a bridge: you bring your rook to the fourth rank so it can block the checks.

First the rook checks the black king further away, then goes to the fourth rank. The white king walks out, and when the checks run out, the rook blocks on b4 - "the bridge". The pawn queens.

Moves: 1. Rd1+ Ke7 2. Rd4 Ra1 3. Kc7 Rc1+ 4. Kb6 Rb1+ 5. Kc6 Rc1+ 6. Kb5 Rb1+ 7. Rb4

Open this position on the analysis board

5. The Philidor position: how to draw a rook endgame

The Philidor position, analysed by François-André Danican Philidor in 1777, is the defender's best friend. You have a rook against rook and pawn, and your king is in front of the pawn. The method:

  1. Keep your rook on your third rank (the sixth rank from the attacker's side), so the enemy king cannot come forward.
  2. When the pawn moves onto that rank, it can no longer shelter the enemy king - so move your rook to the far end of the board and check from behind.
White's rook holds the third rank. The moment Black pushes e3, the rook goes to the back rank and checks the king from behind. The black king has nowhere to hide, and the game is drawn.

Moves: 1... Rb2 2. Rc3 Ra2 3. Rb3 e3 4. Rb8 Kf3 5. Rf8+ Ke4 6. Re8+ Kf4 7. Rf8+ Ke5 8. Re8+

Open this position on the analysis board

Philidor and Lucena together cover a huge share of the rook endgames played. Learning both - which one you are heading for, and how to reach the good one - will save and win you many points.

Practise

Endgames are where calculation is most exact, so puzzles train them well:

  • Endgame puzzles - winning and drawing technique from real games
  • Save the draw - find the only move that holds
  • Play any of these positions out against Stockfish on the analysis board: click Analyse under a board to open it there.

Practise it: Endgame puzzles, Save the draw puzzles

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