Endgame Patterns

Chess.com Team

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Learn these advanced patterns to win your endgames!

Are you tired of drawing your rook and pawn endgames when you are up a pawn? Then this is the course for you! Converting a winning advantage in the endgame can sometimes be extremely difficult. By learning these advanced techniques and concepts you will increase your winning chances in the endgame, and even learn to save some positions you used to lose!

What you will learn:

Advanced techniques of distant opposition and triangulation in king and pawn endgames
Master checkmating with the bishop pair
Learn how to stop a dangerous passed pawn with your queen to bring home the full point
How to win rook and pawn endgames with the extremely important Lucena and Philidor positions
And more!

Philidor says "Learn my rook and pawn endgame technique!". Photo: Wikimedia.

Distant Opposition

Opposition is when kings face each other with one square in the middle. The side that isn't on the move has the opposition because the other side must move out of the way. Distant opposition occurs when there three or even five squares separating the kings. The same principles apply as in regular opposition.

7 минути

5 Предизвикателства

Triangulation

In some king and pawn endings you can take over the opposition and put your opponent in zugzwang by losing a tempo. Triangulation is a king maneuver, where you spend three moves to return to a square while the opponent repeats the position in only two moves. Now you have repeated the position, but passed the turn to your opponent and they may be in zugzwang.

6 минути

5 Предизвикателства

Lucena Position

The Lucena position occurs when one side has a king, rook and pawn against king and rook and the pawn is one square from promotion. The winning technique is to separate the opponent's king three files from the pawn and then to place a rook on the 4th rank in order to "build a bridge" and shield the king from checks prior to promoting the pawn.

5 минути

5 Предизвикателства

Philidor Position

The most important draw to know in rook endings is the Philidor Position. The defending side in rook and king against rook king and pawn can hold by keeping the king on the promotion square and the rook on the third rank. Once the attacking pawn advances to the third rank, you can move your rook to the back rank and check the king from behind. There will be no shelter from the checks and you can force a draw.

5 минути

5 Предизвикателства

Pieces and Pawns

Pieces are usually more valuable than pawns, but pawns that are near promotion or that can protect each other can often fight against pieces effectively. A good way to play with pieces against pawns is to give back some of the material to block the pawns and take over the initiative.

5 минути

5 Предизвикателства

Queen vs Pawn

You promoted your pawn, but your opponent's pawn is running away. Can you stop it? A pawn on the 7th rank can cause difficulty against a queen. Queens can defeat a central or knight pawn on any square. The queen checks until the opposing king must block it's own pawn. That gives the stronger side a chance to bring the king closer to help. The side with a pawn can draw with a rook pawn or bishop pawn on the 7th rank by using a a clever stalemate trick.

6 минути

5 Предизвикателства

Two Bishop Checkmate

It's rare, but you will want to know how to finish the game with only two bishops vs King. Two bishops near each other can form a wall that the opposing king can't breach. Use the opposition and the bishops to force the opposing king towards a corner of the board where it can be mated.

7 минути

5 Предизвикателства

Уроци

Endgame Patterns

: Поемане на Контрол
: Разширени
: 7 Уроци
: 41 Минути
: 35 Предизвикателства
: Пуснат на October 11, 2018
: 190 318 Ученици