How to become best endgame player?

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Avatar of JSB53

I've finally decided I want to become extremely good at the endgame. My main reason is I've had so many EXTREMELY painful losses and they all occur in the endgame with me low on time. I think I've at least considered quitting chess 3 times because of how fustrating it always is. My main question is where should I start? There seems to be a lot of resources and I don't know which one to go to as in most suitable for me since there are some resources I just don't get. I plan to focus and work as hard as I have to on the endgame at this point. Feel free to just take a look at this absolutely ridiculous trend of games I lost. Note its always in the endgame with me ahead in material.

 

 

 



Not even joking I literally have about 10 more of these some of them being even a lot worse and as far back as half a year ago. Posting the rest of the games like this is probably not worth the effort, its also embarrassing losing to stupid things like this. 

Avatar of TheAnt88

I have the same problem, I know it is really frustrating. I lose a LOT of games I should clearly win.

I don't think your problem is so much lack of knowledge, because clearly you have some good tactical abilities, but rather it is psychological. There is a saying in chess that the person who is losing plays more accurately, and I think that is what is happening here.

When you gain a lead you stop looking for the "best move" and simply try to quickly finish off the game with some half-hearted attempts to promote a pawn or trade material. I think this can be easily solved by you consciously calming yourself once you reach a winning endgame, consolidating your material, maybe making a few prophylaxis moves to prevent counterplay, and don't allow your opponent back into the game.

I really don't think you have to study too much to remedy some of the errors in the games you posted. It's all in your mind, and just not allowing yourself to slip into a mindset where you stop looking for the best move and also not thinking about your opponent's plan. That will probably help. But like I said I am dealing with the same problem and I think lots of people do so don't get too frustrated.

Avatar of Diakonia

Commit some serious study time to the endgames of Capablanca, Rubenstein, and Karpov.

Avatar of adumbrate

Carlsen

Avatar of ArgoNavis

Most of the blunders you make are probably due to not paying attention when you're winning.

Also, why on Earth would you do 52 Kg4 in the first game?

Avatar of BlueKnightShade

Look for tactics in the end game and beware of hanging pieces.

The first game:
You won the exchange, but for some reason you didn't activate the rooks for some time.
Then you missed some tactics 29. .. fxe6? hangs your queen as you found out.
33... Kf6? hangs your rook which you also found out.

The second game:
You missed a simple tactic, 45. Ke2?, better play 45. Nc4 attacking the black a5 pawn.

The third game:
This one was difficult. You have won the exchange having a rook for a night and a pawn, but your material advantage is very small. Your move 33... f5? was fatal, because that enabled white to get two passed central pawns, and that made it very difficult for black.

The fourth game:
36... d4? turned out to be bad, count the moves before doing such a move in the end game. You sacrificed the f7 pawn and the rook on d8 for the sake of your passed d-pawn, but the counting wasn't properly done. Your pawn could not reach the end before white could attack it.

I agree that end games skills are important, but you can improve by simply looking for tactics and hanging pieces in the end game even if the positions seem non-complicated. And count before advancing pawns. Also don't underestimate the opponent, he is probably looking for any counter play that he can possibly find.

Avatar of JSB53
TheAnt11 wrote:
It's all in your mind, and just not allowing yourself to slip into a mindset where you stop looking for the best move and also not thinking about your opponent's plan. That will probably help. 

I can sort of relate to it all being in your mind but even when I try follow your suggestion it just doesn't seem to work, it really is fustrating as you said. Its gotten the point it feels like it is out of my control as in once I reach a similair situation in other games.

Also, why on Earth would you do 52 Kg4 in the first game?

Maybe time shortage? Time trouble also seems to be present in all these games but I think theres a lot more to it than that.

Avatar of Ninjakiwi17

 Why resignation in the second game?

Avatar of JSB53
Ninjakiwi17 wrote:

 Why resignation in the second game?

Honestly the main reason is I had enough of that game and just didn't feel like playing at all. Now that I look at it again it was lost anyway since after black plays Qg3+ and forces a queen trade, there is no stopping the pawn for promotion and there is practically no chance for a draw.

Avatar of Mandy711

@OP I hope you got the patience to learn endgame technique. I have played and studied chess for 30 years and endgame knowledge is something I cant learn.

Avatar of Doirse

Two good ways to start improving are (1) during the middlegame, pay attention to endgame transitions and who would be better if you were to move into the endgame now (eg, if you were to trade queens, what pieces would be left on the board and whose pieces are more active, who has passed pawns, weak pawns, or the better pawn structure); (2)  study the endgame by moving from the simplest to the complex with KvP (no pieces), then the pawnless endings (eg, RvB, etc); then the mixed piece/pawn endings (piece+pawns, piece-vs-pawns, pawns+pieces-vs-pawns+pieces).  And spend tons of time on king and pawn endings and rook endings.

Avatar of woodretarded

I have Endgame manual by Dvoretsky but damn it's just too difficult for me

Avatar of TheAnt88
JSB53 wrote:
TheAnt11 wrote:
It's all in your mind, and just not allowing yourself to slip into a mindset where you stop looking for the best move and also not thinking about your opponent's plan. That will probably help. 

I can sort of relate to it all being in your mind but even when I try follow your suggestion it just doesn't seem to work, it really is fustrating as you said. Its gotten the point it feels like it is out of my control as in once I reach a similair situation in other games.

Also, why on Earth would you do 52 Kg4 in the first game?

Maybe time shortage? Time trouble also seems to be present in all these games but I think theres a lot more to it than that.

Ya I realize saying that "it's all in your mind" doesn't really help all that much, it doesn't give you any concrete steps to take for improvement. But there are a couple other things I would say.

If the problem stems from time trouble, definitely don't worry too much, everyone makes horrible mistakes in time trouble. I don't know how much time you had in the games when you started making mistakes, but if you are playing a 30 min game then even being under maybe 5 or so minutes can get you into a "rushed" state of mind that can negatively impact your game. That is something that happens to everyone, so don't get too discouraged.

Also, looking at the number of games you have played on chess.com, it seems you are still in the low hundreds. The kind of mistakes you are making will go away as you play more, it's just part of everyone's natural development. I know it is frustrating but don't think it's only you. Everyone goes through that, especially if you are as new as your chess.com profile indicates.

Avatar of AIM-AceMove

The way i improved my endgame is just to analyze my own games and see where and how i did wrong, what computer suggest ... I watch tons of videos how masters handle endgames with comentary for example NM Chess-Network, IM John  blitz bullet rapid all of videos., but not kingscrusher he is bad at endgames. I played thousands of quick bullet games, i learned quickly what's importhant and what will lose imidiately the game in endgame.

Start solving tactics. Now with V3 you can customize and solve only endgame problems. Watch endgame video lessons, there are a lot free on youtube. Start with king and pawn vs king it's most importhant. If you have money take membership here, chess mentor, video lessons and unlimitted tactics will skyrock you in just couple of months.