Anyone?
Start of Endgame
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Calling it an endgame is stretching the definition of an endgame a lot I would say. Is the opening phase even finished? I mean most of the pieces aren't developed yet.
That's a good point
Some people call it the endgame when the queens are exchanged, but I do not agree with that at all. In the Berlin and the I would say it is still the opening after the queens are exchanged. I would say the endgame starts when the plan is to promote a pawn, but that doesn´t count for every endgame I think
I have always read that endgames "typically start when the majority of pieces are exchanged" thus I've always figured when there is one or two pieces left max. But alas my small chess knowledge is just that...small.
Reading the article "Vladimir Kramnik and the Berlin Defense" it talks of the upset when Kramnik defeated Kasparov and the surprise Berlin Defense in Game 1.
"The above endgame, prior to the match, had hardly been appreciated, and hence the entire Berlin Defense was not very popular."
I'm sorry, what did that just say? Endgame? What endgame? Ok, so I get the Queens have been exchanged, Black has the bishop advantage with a queenside pawn majority with White having a Kingside pawn majority. (Keep in mind I'm probably mid-1200s level.)
But there's five total pieces left, three minor, two major on both sides. How can this be considered an endgame when there are so many pieces left. Again no Queens yes but five pieces? That seems to be a lot!