King and Pawn vs King
This is the absolute fundamental endgame. If you master only one endgame, make it this one. It contains the two key concepts you will meet in all the others: opposition and the key square.
Direct opposition
Two kings are “in opposition” when they face each other with exactly one empty square between them (that is, 2 squares apart). Having the opposition means it is your opponent who has to move, forcing him to give way. The fundamental rule is simple: with a passed pawn, the side that holds the opposition wins (in most cases).
Key squares
For every pawn there are key squares: if the attacking king manages to reach one of them, the pawn promotes whatever the defender does. For a pawn that is not a rook's pawn and has not passed its 4th rank, the key squares are the 3 squares two ranks in front of the pawn.
The exception: rook's pawns (a- and h-files)
Pawns on the a- or h-file are special cases. Even if the attacking king reaches a “key square”, if the defending king can reach the pawn's promotion square, the game is drawn — the corner fortress cannot be broken, because the king cannot be dislodged from there.
Practical exercise
Set up the following position and practise: White king on e5, White pawn on e4, Black king on e7. White to move. Does White have the opposition? Can White win? The answer: no, Black has the opposition (the kings are separated by one square). With correct play by Black, it is a draw.
King and Rook vs a Lone King
This endgame is technically winning with correct play, but it requires a precise method. The idea is to gradually confine the enemy king to an ever-narrower corridor until you deliver checkmate in a corner.
The corridor method (the Tarrasch method)
Step 1: The rook creates an “invisible wall”, cutting the king off along a rank or a file. Step 2: The attacking king advances towards the enemy king, always keeping up the rook's pressure. Step 3: When the two kings face each other with one square between them and it is the attacker's move, the rook gives check from the opposite side, forcing the king into an even smaller corridor. Repeat until mate.
A common mistake: giving checks with no method, just to “make the enemy king move”. These checks are often unproductive and use up time. Always ask: will my rook tighten the corridor or not?
Rook and Pawn vs Rook: the Two Fundamental Positions
This is where many players rated 1400–1800 lose half-points. This endgame is often drawn if the defender plays correctly (unless the Lucena position is reached), but becomes winning for the attacker if the defender goes wrong. Two positions to know by heart.
The Lucena Position: How to Win
The Lucena position is the typical winning position in a rook-and-pawn versus rook endgame. It arises when the pawn is on the seventh rank, the attacking king is in front of its pawn (“covering” it), and the defending king is cut off on the distant files.
The “bridge” technique
The method for converting the Lucena is called “building a bridge”:
- The attacking rook goes to the 4th rank (or the 5th, depending on the set-up)
- The king steps out from in front of its pawn, harassed by the opponent's checks
- The rook forms a “shield” against the checks from the enemy rook
- The pawn advances and promotes
This technique may seem abstract without a diagram, but with 30 minutes' practice on a physical board it becomes automatic.
The Philidor Position: How to Hold the Draw
The Philidor position (or Philidor's method) is the defensive technique that gives a draw in most rook-and-pawn versus rook endgames where the Lucena is not reached.
The principle
The defender places his rook on the 3rd rank (counting from the defender's side), creating a barrier the attacking king cannot cross without losing control of the pawn. The golden rule: the defending rook must only go onto the attack (by checking from behind) once the pawn reaches the 6th rank. If it leaves the 3rd rank too early, the attacker can pull off the bridge technique.
Memory aid
Philidor = “passivity first” → the rook stays on the 3rd rank PASSIVELY until the pawn reaches the 6th rank, then it attacks from behind. Lucena = “the rook builds the BRIDGE”, with the rook covering the advancing king.
Minor-Piece Endgames
Bishop vs Knight: context decides
The eternal debate: which is better, the bishop or the knight? The answer depends entirely on the pawn structure. The bishop excels in open positions with pawns on both wings, where its long diagonals can dominate the whole board. The knight excels in closed positions, where its jumps let it reach squares the bishop cannot touch.
The rule of opposite-coloured bishops
If each side has a bishop of a different colour (one on light squares, the other on dark), the endgames are very often drawn, even a pawn up, sometimes two. The defender places his pawns on the colour of his own bishop, out of reach of the enemy bishop.
Two bishops vs bishop and knight
The bishop pair gives a significant advantage in an open middlegame. In the endgame, two bishops against bishop-and-knight generally gives a clear advantage to the side with the two bishops, but the technique is complex.
In What Order Should You Learn Endgames?
| Priority | Endgame | Difficulty | Frequency in tournaments |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | King and Pawn vs King | Easy | Very high |
| 2 | King and Rook vs King | Easy | Medium |
| 3 | Philidor position | Medium | Very high |
| 4 | Lucena position | Medium | High |
| 5 | Pawn endgames (passed pawn) | Medium | High |
| 6 | Bishop vs Knight | Hard | Medium |
| 7 | Queen vs Rook | Hard | Low |