Some General Guidelines on the Endgame

The one key idea in the endgame is getting a Pawn promoted into a Queen. Below are some general principles in guiding you to a good endgame.

The Passed Pawn

1. Endgames, and some middlegames, are all about creating and advancing a passed Pawn. A passed Pawn is one that is not faced by hostile Pawns on the files to its immediate right and left (see diagram below, which shows two passed Pawns for White and two for Black).

Either the passed Pawn queens, or your opponent gets so tied up in knots trying to stop it that they lose something else.

The 3 Principles & 15 General Laws (Reuben Fine)

The 3 Principles:
1. Without Pawns, you must be at least a Rook ahead in order to force mate (exceptions: Rook+Rook wins against two minor pieces and four minor pieces win against a Queen).
2. If you are two or more Pawns ahead the win should be routine by advancing the Pawns.
3. With only one Pawn advantage, you will win if you can use it to gain more material - it is not usually enough just to advance the Pawn. Often a one Pawn advantage is thought to be a theoretical draw, although the practical difficulties may be very great. Winning by the advance of the Pawn may be won because it allows entry with the King, or causes distraction from one vulnerable side, or allows simplification into a known won ending.

The 15 General Laws:
1. Doubled, isolated and blockaded Pawns are weak - avoid them!
2. Passed Pawns should be advanced as rapidly as possible.
3. If you are one or two Pawns ahead, exchange pieces but not Pawns.
4. If you are one or two Pawns behind, exchange Pawns but not pieces.
5. If you have an advantage, leave Pawns on both sides of the board.
6. If you are just one Pawn ahead, in 99 cases out of 100 the game is drawn if there are Pawns on only one side of the board.
7. The easiest endings to win are pure King+Pawn endings.
8. The easiest endings to draw are those with opposite coloured Bishops.
9. The King is a strong piece: use it!
10. Do not place Pawns on the colour of your Bishop.
11. Bishops are better than Knights in all except blocked Pawn positions.
12. Two Bishops against Bishop+Knight or Knight+Knight are usually a real advantage.
13. Passed Pawns should not be blockaded by the King: the only piece which is not much harmed by watching over an opponent's Pawn is the Knight.
14. A Rook on the seventh rank is worth a Pawn.
15. Rooks belong behind passed Pawns, whether of your own or the opponent.

On the next page we have some concrete examples of simple endgames which involve checkmating a single King.