Trainings
95 trainings graded 1–10. Log in to track what you complete.
Endgames 20
King and queen vs king
The first mate every player must know. Box the king in with the queen, bring up your king, and finish on the edge without stalemating.
King and rook vs king
Drive the king to the edge with rook and king working together, then mate with the rook when the kings stand in opposition.
The opposition
Why the king that does NOT have to move often wins the fight for a square, and how to use it in king and pawn endings.
The square of the pawn
Count whether a king can catch a running pawn in a single glance, without calculating move by move.
King vs king and pawn: hold the draw
You have a lone king against king and pawn. Stay in front of the pawn and keep the opposition to reach the stalemate draw.
Opposition: the only move
King and pawn endings where exactly one king move wins or holds the draw. Find it.
Wrong-coloured bishop: hold the draw
A rook pawn and a bishop that does not control the promotion square cannot beat a king in the corner. Prove it.
King and pawn vs king: win with the opposition
Take the opposition, outflank the defending king, and escort your pawn home. The engine defends perfectly.
Rook endgame skewers
Checks that line the enemy king up with its own rook or a new queen. Classic tactics of rook and promotion endings.
Pawn breakthroughs
Sacrifice pawns to force one of them through. Pure pawn endings in which a single push decides the game.
Philidor position: draw with rook vs rook and pawn
The most important drawing technique in rook endings: the third-rank defence, then checks from behind.
Rook endgame principles
Rooks belong behind passed pawns, kings get cut off, and a rook must stay active: the three habits that decide most rook endings.
Stalemate tricks for the defender
Down to your last resource? Find the move that leaves the opponent's win in ruins: a stalemate trap or a desperado piece.
Bishop vs knight: which is better?
The minor pieces are worth the same on paper. Learn the pawn structures that make one of them clearly stronger in the endgame.
Lucena position: build a bridge
Your king is in front of the pawn on the seventh and the enemy king is cut off. Win with the bridge-building manoeuvre.
Promotion tricks
Underpromotions, promotions with check and the right piece at the right moment. The pawn's last step is often the most tactical.
Queen vs pawn on the seventh
Stop a pawn about to promote using the queen's zigzag of checks, winning tempi to bring your king over.
Two bishops vs king
Force the lone king into a corner with two bishops standing side by side, and deliver mate without allowing stalemate.
Vancura position: draw against a rook pawn
A rook pawn on the sixth with the rook in front of it looks lost for the defender. The Vancura defence holds against perfect play.
Queen vs rook: the Philidor position
The classic queen versus rook win. Lose a tempo with the queen to reach the same position with Black to move, then the rook must leave its king.