Introduction to chess endgames

The endgame occurs once most of the pieces have been exchanged off, and each side must focus their efforts on getting a pawn to the end of the board to make a new queen. If you win a material or positional advantage in the opening or middlegame, it is often in the endgame that you convert your advantage into a win.

Despite the importance of the endgame, it is often neglected by many beginners and novices, who find it boring or do not think it is relevant to their own games. However, endgames occur frequently at all levels of play, so it is vital to know at least something. Even knowledge of basic endgame strategy such as how to use the king in the endgame, could make the difference between winning and losing dozens of games. In this tutorial, we will look at the basics endgame strategy and important concepts such as the opposition.