This forum is intended as a private lesson for my friend, everyone who believes he can gain anything out of it is though welcome to read it. If I have made mistake I really would appreciate a post explaining it so that I will not confuse my friend with uncorrect facts.

The endgame is the last part of a chess game, it usually only includes a few pieces and some pawns. There are several kinds of endgames that all have different themes.

The first and easily the most important endgame is king against pawn. This endgame is arrived at when all minor and major pieces are traded off and includes opposition, triangulation and positional play. The main idea of winning a pawn endgame is to gain a dangerous passed pawn and trade it off for the remaining enemy pawn or pawns.

In bishop of same color endgames can you often find a very slow strangeling game where momentum is important. In these endgames you should focus your energy on tying down your opponents bishop. You should try to keep your remaining pawns on the opposite color of the bishop pair as it will let you cover more square with your pieces and take away targets for your opponents bishop.

In bishop of opposite color endgames you can can find the most endgame draws as the defending side often can erect a blockade on the squares of the color of his bishop. Bishop of opposite colors endgames are most often calmer than its middle game relative, which often means a fierce offensive struggle as your bishop can not defend against the opponents counterpart.

In bishop against knight endgames your main objective is to create a pawn structure that is good for your minor piece. For example is knights better in closed games where the pawns stands with their head against each others while the bishop is better when there are a lot of open diagonals. The bishop is also faster than the knight and can thus play on both sides of the board.

Rook and pawn against knight and bishop endgames are most often won by the player with  the bishop and knight as they slowely but surely can dominate the lonely rook.

At last rook endgames are the most complicated especially when it includes two rooks for each side. The main theme in these endgames are to dominate the open files while trying to lock the opponents rooks down for defence.

A king and pawn against king endgame is won by the side who has the opposition. The king must reach one of the three square two steps in front of the pawn in order to win.

 

 

 

 

The opposition is everything in a king and pawn versus king endgame.

 

 

 

 

 

To be able to win a king queen versus king endgame is absolutely crucial for the outcome of chess games.

 

 

 

 

This is an important theme that often occurs in beginners games, probably the most common mating tecnique.

 

 

 

 

The least amount of material you can mate with is a single rook, you shoud keep away from positions where your opponent can sacrifice his last minor piece for your last pawn as even though you are up a whole minor piece it is a draw. The king and rook against king endgame is about as deep a beginner should go into the art of endgames. Just for the record is two bishops and a king against a king or a bishop, a knight and a king against a king a win while two knights and a king against a king a draw.

I hope you have enjoyed the lesson.

mvh Fredrik

this is very good FHansen i like very much

Thanks

Here are four general ideas for mating with K+R against K.

1) Use the R to cut off the K from the rest of the board and use the R to squeeze the K into smaller and smaller maneuvering area

2) Force the K to one of the four edges

of the board

3) Use the R to mate the K.

4) Use the R to place the K into zugzwang and force the K into a mating position. The mating position is a check with the R on the edge of the board with the opposing K in front of the player's K.

Here's an example of how the four ideas work. Let's begin with the position after 2....Kc6.

Watch and learn how to mate more efficiently.

Read the analysis carefully after White's 3rd move and see how White uses the K and R (zugzwang) to end the game swiftly should Black's K go to the edge of the board with either 3...Ka3 or 3...Ka4 or 3...Ka5.

After 6.Kc4 the reply 6...Ka5 results in mate in 2 after 7.Rc6 which places the K in zugzwang, 7...Ka4 8.Ra6#

Sure I know there are faster ways to mate, but I just thought that my friend (who these lessons are for) should not be confused and have a stable way of mating. I think it might get too complicated for a beginner to learn all the new themes of your fast mates.

mvh Fredrik

Good, but you missed couple things. First, there is a way to win king and pawn endgames without opposition.

White wins with either side to move. Also, shouldn't bishop and minor piece(another bishop or a knight) checkmate be here? Other than that, this can be quite helpful for beginners who don't know these endgames.