CHESS ENDGAMES
-In chess and chess-like games, the endgame is the stage of the game when there are few pieces left on the board.
-The endgame, however, tends to have different characteristics from the middlegame, and the players have correspondingly different strategic concerns.
-In particular, pawns become more important as endgames often revolve around attempting to promote a pawn by advancing it to the eighth rank. The king, which has to be protected in the middlegame owing to the threat of checkmate, becomes a strong piece in the endgame. It can be brought to the center of the board and be a useful attacking piece. Whereas chess opening theory changes frequently, giving way to middlegame positions that fall in and out of popularity, endgame theory always remains constant.
-Usually in the endgame, the stronger side should try to exchange pieces, while avoiding the exchange of pawns. This generally makes it easier to convert a material advantage into a won game. The defending side should strive for the opposite.
-There are few types of endgames we encounter while playing chess.(Refer the board of chess for position references) These are:
- BASIC CHECKMATES
As we all know, the ultimate goal of chess is to deliver a checkmate. It also has it's types, some the common one are:
a)Two major pieces back rank mate
This is by far the simplest possible mate in the game of chess, which usually occurs in the late stages of the game (i. e. endgame). Stronger side cuts the opponents King from 7th rank with one major piece and delivers a mate with the other one.
Note: If the opponent’s king is stuck in the middle of the board, the stronger side should “walk” him onto the 8th rank to the shown position by given interchangeable checks with the rooks, and then mating on the back rank.
b)Two Pawn checkmate
This is a very common endgame, where one side has two pawns and the other side has none. On the positions above, Black has nowhere to move: d7 and f7 are guarded by the White’s King; d8 and f8 are guarded by the e7 pawn which obviously cannot be captured. (Refer to the board of chess for the positions respectively).
c)Rook and Bishop checkmate
This is a very common checkmating theme not only in the endgame but in the middle game as well. The basic idea is that the Rook is used to cut the Black’s King on the edge of the board and use Bishop’s long range abilities to deliver a mate.
Interesting Fact: Two bishops when working at its best cover 28 squares. Queen can do the same: also 28 squares.
d)Back rank checkmate
This is a classical example of the back rank checkmate which is a very powerful weapon which is used by all players as a serious weapon or a threat. In the position above Black’s King is blocked by his own pawns on the 8th rank (i. e. back rank) and any check by a major piece on the back rank would turn out deadly.
e)Diagonal checkmate
The diagonal checkmate should be in the arsenal of every practical chess player. At the same time, players should be aware of this kind of setup when on the defensive side.The setup Queen + Bishop lined up on the same diagonal was proven to be very powerful. In this case, the setup is even more powerful since black dominates the so-called long (a1-h8) diagonal.
f)Smothered checkmate
It is a mate given by the knight alone when an opponent’s king is unable to move because it’s blocked by its own pieces or pawns. This mate is quite hard to see sometimes because players usually don’t expect the knight to be a mating piece.
Note: When you see that your opponent’s King cannot move due to surrounding pieces, smothered mate theme should click in your mind.
g)Anastasia’s checkmate
This checkmate is another great example of how the knight can be used in mating schemes. In Anastasia’s mate knight and rook work together to lock an opponent’s King on the h – file (it works as well on a – file too, in the case of a long side castle) and to checkmate thereafter.
Note: The Anastasia’s mate shows an importance of a rook lift in the middle game, which is a technique when one player lifts his rook from the back rank to an active position, usually close to an opponent’s King.
2)KING AND PAWN ENDINGS
Attacking king in front 1
-King and pawn endgames involve only kings and pawns on one or both sides.The first truly must known king and pawn ending! Since you can't mate with a pawn, you need to promote to a queen (and we assume you've already mastered the King And Queen Mate Drill). You need to get your pawn to e8. The opponent's king stands in your way, so you must find a way to advance the pawn, and gain control of the e8-square with your king.
Opposition is an important technique that is used to gain an advantage. When two kings are in opposition, they are on the same rank with an empty square separating them. The player having the move loses the opposition. He must move his king and allow the opponent's king to advance. Note however that the opposition is a means to an end, which is penetration into the enemy position. If the attacker can penetrate without the opposition, he should do so. The tactics of triangulation and zugzwang as well as the theory of corresponding squares are often decisive.
Attacking king in front 2
-Keep the first drill in this category in mind as you attempt to promote your e-pawn. Know that it is usually correct to improve the position of your king as much as possible before pushing your pawn. If you keep you king in front of your pawn and do not allow your opponent to take the opposition, you should have no trouble winning this.
Triangulation
-Triangulation occurs most commonly in endgames with only kings and pawns when one king can maneuver on three adjacent squares in the shape of a triangle and maintain the basic position while the opposing king only has two such squares. Thus, if one king triangulates by using three moves to return to the original square and the opposing king cannot do the same, he has lost a crucial tempo and reached the same position with the other player to move. Triangulation can occur in other endgames and even in some middlegames.
Unlike most positions, king and pawn endgames can usually be analyzed to a definite conclusion, given enough skill and time. An error in a king and pawn endgame almost always turns a win into a draw or a draw into a loss – there is little chance for recovery. Accuracy is most important in these endgames.
3)KNIGHT AND PAWN ENDINGS
Mikhail Botvinnik once said, "Knight endgames are like pawn endgames." With this statement he meant that if you have reached a knight endgame, take out the knights from the board and if the pawn endgame is winning for one side, then the knight endgame would also be winning for the same side.
While a knight is poor at chasing a passed pawn, it is the ideal piece to block a passed pawn.Knight and pawn endgames feature clever manoeuvring by the knights to capture opponent pawns.Knights cannot lose a tempo, so knight and pawn endgames have much in common with king and pawn endgames. As a result, Mikhail Botvinnik stated that “a knight ending is really a pawn ending.”
a)Knight and pawn vs knight
This is generally a draw since the knight can be sacrificed for the pawn, however, the king and knight must be covering squares in the pawn's path. If the pawn reaches the seventh rank and is supported by its king and knight, it usually promotes and wins. In this position, White to move wins: 1. b6 Nb7! 2. Ne6! Na5 3. Kc8! N-any 4. Nc7#. If Black plays the knight to any other square on move 2, White plays Kc8 anyway, threatening b7+ and promotion if the knight leaves the defense of the b7 square. Black to move draws starting with 1... Nc4 because White cannot gain a tempo.
4)BISHOP AND PAWN ENDINGS
Bishop endings are generally easier to win than rook endings because there is no way for the defending side to exclude the attacking King, and neither is there a perpetual check. But perhaps because they are less common, they may be neglected in a player's study.
A rook and a rook pawn always win against the wrong bishop, as in this position. The defender has the wrong bishop if it is the one on the same color as the pawn's promotion square. The winning procedure is to give up the pawn at the right time to get to a winning rook versus bishop endgame.
Bishop and pawn endgames come in two distinctly different variants. If the opposing bishops go on the same color of square, the mobility of the bishops is a crucial factor. A bad bishop is one that is hemmed in by pawns of its own color, and has the burden of defending them.
a)Bishop and pawn versus bishop on the same color
Two rules given by Luigi Centurini in the 19th century apply:
-The game is a draw if the defending king can reach any square in front of the pawn that is opposite in color to the squares the bishops travel on.
-If the defending king is behind the pawn and the attacking king is near the pawn, the defender can draw only if his king is attacking the pawn, he has the opposition, and his bishop can move on two diagonals that each have at least two squares available (other than the square it is on) This is the case for central pawns and the bishop pawn whose promotion square is not the same color as the bishop.
b)Bishops on opposite colors
Endings with bishops of opposite color, meaning that one bishop works on the light squares, the other one working on dark squares, are notorious for their drawish character. Many players in a poor position have saved themselves from a loss by trading down to such an endgame. They are often drawn even when one side has a two-pawn advantage, since the weaker side can create a blockade on the squares which his bishop operates on. The weaker side should often try to make their bishop bad by placing their pawns on the same color of their bishop in order to defend their remaining pawns, thereby creating an impregnable fortress.
(i)Bishop and pawn versus bishop
The attacker's bishop is practically useless and the defender can normally draw if his king can reach any square in front of the pawn that is not of the color of the attacking bishop; or if his bishop can permanently attack any square in front of the pawn. These endings are trivially drawn 99% of the time.
(ii)Bishop and two pawns versus a bishop
About half of these positions are drawn. In most other endings, a two pawn advantage is usually an easy win. For example, if the bishops were on the same color, 90% of the positions would be wins.
There are three general cases, depending on the two pawns. In most endings, a pair of connected pawns have the best winning chances, but in these endings a widely separated pair of pawns have the best chances, except when one of the pawns is the wrong rook pawn.
General Advice for bishop endings:
(1) The easiest endings to draw are those with opposite coloured bishops. (2) Do not place pawns on the colour of your bishop. (3) BB vs. BN or NN are usually a real advantage. In open positions the two bishops are murder: in most other positions they are a real advantage. (4) In open or semi-open positions a lone bishop is usually superior to a lone knight. The knight is superior to the bishop in blocked positions or when the bishop is hemmed in by pawns on the same colour squares as the bishop.
5)BISHOP VS KNIGHT ENDINGS (WITH PAWNS)
Endgames in which the bishop fights against the knight – and vice versa – are often full of surprising subtleties. Often they are also complicated and not easy to understand.Current theory is that bishops are better than knights about 60 percent of the time in the endgame. The more symmetrical the pawn structure, the better it is for the knight. The knight is best suited at an outpost in the center, particularly where it cannot easily be driven away, whereas the bishop is strongest when it can attack targets on both sides of the board or a series of squares of the same color.
Bishop is a faster piece and has a longer range of fire, but can cover only half of the board.
Knight on the other hand, is a slow and clumsy piece but covers squares of both colors. When I say clumsy, I am referring about knight's difficulty to position himself fast to the nearby square. Another problem with the knight is that he can not make a move and keep previous square under control which disables him from making zugzwang.
Fine and Benko gave four conclusions: (i) In general the bishop is better than the knight.
(ii) When there is a material advantage, the difference between the bishop and knight is not very important. However, the bishop usually wins more easily than the knight.
(iii)If the material is even, the position should be drawn. However, the bishop can exploit positional advantages more efficiently.
(iv) When most of the pawns are on the same color as the bishop (i.e. a bad bishop), the knight is better.
In practice it has been shown that a bishop is usually stronger than the knight because of its mobility, but there are always some exceptions.
Do you remember that in such endgames position of the kings and pawn structure matters a lot. Here are some good general pieces of advice with instructive examples:
(i) The pawns are both the side and the position is more dynamic- the bishop is usually better.
(ii) The pawns are both the side and the bishop has not target; generally the knight is better.
(iii)If the pawns are on just one side of the board and the position of the king is not passive, then usually a side with a pawn down holds because the defender can sacrifice a piece for a pawns and can achieve an esay draw.
We can conclude that if there are pawns on one side only, most of the time the game ends in a draw.
(a)Bishop and pawn versus knight
This is a draw if the defending king is in front of the pawn or sufficiently close. The defending king can occupy a square in front of the pawn of the opposite color as the bishop and cannot be driven away. Otherwise the attacker can win.
(b)Knight and pawn versus bishop
This is a draw if the defending king is in front of the pawn or sufficiently near. The bishop is kept on a diagonal that the pawn must cross and the knight cannot both block the bishop and drive the defending king away. Otherwise the attacker can win.