The 2 Types of Endgames

There are so many endgames that can arise in chess, so how should we go about learning all of them? After all, there's no way you could possibly study each and every possible position that could occur in your games! To tackle this problem, let's first start by splitting endgames up into 2 categories, which I have briefly mentioned in my previous blog, where I identified my biggest weakness: endgames!

1. Theoretical Endgames

Theoretical endgames are endgames that have specific theory/analysis done on them, and are considered the basic and fundamental "building blocks" of endgames. They are endgames that you "know how to win", because it is usually a very specific type of position with very specific ideas or variations that are familiar to anyone who studies them. Think of these as endgames that are in most endgame books.

2. Practical Endgames

Practical endgames are endgames that come from your actual games. These are positions that don't have a concrete "way to win" that has been studied before. Rather, in these positions, you want to use your knowledge of theoretical endgames to help guide you through the game. Think of these as endgames that arise from your practical games.

Examples - Theoretical Endgames vs Practical Endgames

Here are some comparisons between theoretical endgames and practical endgames to help you get a better sense of the difference between the two.

Pawn Endgames

Knight Endgames

Bishop Endgames

Rook Endgames

Queen Endgames

So, I myself am not the most familiar with queen endgame theory, so instead I shall present to you Queen vs Passed Pawn: