Questions tagged [endgame]
The endgame is the part of the game when there are only a few pieces left on the board. Usually play revolves around one or both players trying to promote a pawn. Alternatives are the opening and middlegame tags.
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Why does Lichess mark this move as “?!”?
I was looking at this game on Lichess, where it says "Checkmate is now unavoidable. Best move was Kc4." As far as I can tell, checkmate was already unavoidable, including after Kc4. Namely, Black can ...
4
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2answers
103 views
How would the evaluation of the engine suggested endgame in the Anand vs Carlsen game be determined?
In round 7 of the Tata Steel Masters 2020, there was a game between Anand and Carlsen. Anand had the upper hand out of the opening but they drew on move 54. Instead, Anand missed 54.Rb4! Nxc7 55. Rc4 ...
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2answers
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Is it bad form to go for a lengthy but losing endgame that you suspect will be winning on time? [duplicate]
In blitz games, I sometimes have to choose between sharper positions that I suspect will put me at some slight positional advantage and positions easily played by my side but difficult for my opponent ...
26
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3answers
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Understanding Anand's Bc4 move vs Ivanchuk 1992
In the Ivanchuk vs Anand game (1992), the game leads into an endgame after lots of exchanges, which by no means looks (to me at least) winning for black: they both have 2 rooks, 2 bishops, and black ...
3
votes
1answer
89 views
DroidFish's rtb folder's file placed somewhere else
DroidFish has an rtb folder that should be used for wdl and dtz syzygy endgame tables. For the six pieces tables it represents roughly 80+60Gb and as I my phone has only 64Gb as internal memory, I ...
10
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4answers
2k views
What is the technique to win and endgame R vs B + B?
[title "R vs B+B"]
[fen "8/4rpkp/6p1/8/8/4BBP1/5PKP/8 w - - 0 1"]
The engine says that this endgame is winning for white(+2.5). Is there a technique that could be used to win this for white. I ...
2
votes
1answer
52 views
A position in which there is no possible checkmate [duplicate]
I saw the game Firouzja vs Carlsen in world blitz championship in which Carlsen flagged Firouzja. Carlsen won because even though he had only a bishop, there could be a possible mate position.
I am ...
11
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4answers
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Chess.com insufficient material draw
I played a game at chess.com and the endgame was KNN vs KP. When the pawn was captured, the server automatically give a draw due to "insufficient material". I am confused about chess.com's ...
2
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2answers
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Why doesn't Stockfish (DroidFish) try to flag me?
Imagine the following position:
[FEN "3k4/7p/7K/3B4/8/8/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
White is played by Stockfish in DroidFish and black by human (me). We both have 15 seconds.
After a few moves, white bishop ...
1
vote
3answers
99 views
Winning as white is a struggle!
[Title "White to move"]
[FEN "5r2/5q1k/6pp/1p2P3/1P2p2P/6RK/3Q1P2/8 w KQkq - 0 1"]
I can’t seem to win here, no matter what I do. Is the position really that bad for me as White?
3
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1answer
157 views
What is the farthest away a game can be from a guaranteed checkmate?
What is the maximum number of moves away from checkmate that a player can be where checkmate is guaranteed? There are many positions that are a guaranteed win for a player if played perfectly right? (...
3
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3answers
146 views
Why is white's best play Nxd5 here?
I'm new to chess. In the position below, lichess analysis says that Nxd5 is the best move for white. But can't black just capture the knight afterwards with his pawn and threaten white's pawn and rook ...
4
votes
1answer
140 views
Rook and Pawn Endgames
I want to learn more about rook and pawn endgames because they are very common. But it’s such a broad subject - where should I even begin?
For example, I do know of the Philidor and Lucena positions, ...
6
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2answers
110 views
In Damanovic-Fischer, 1970, wasn't 66. Ke3 better?
In Damanovic-Fischer, it seems like the move played, 66. bxa4+, made it easy for Fischer. Wasn't 66. Ke3 better?
[Title "Damanovic- Fischer, 1970,"]
[FEN ""]
[startply "130"]
...
3
votes
1answer
105 views
Can I win as black here?
In the below position, I'm playing as Black and it's my turn.
[FEN "8/8/1K6/2P5/1P6/8/8/6kq b - - 0 1"]
I've recently gotten back into chess, and this one is driving me crazy. I can't seem to ...
17
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6answers
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Was this “caterpillar” strategy a good way to advance my pawns?
I recently played an endgame as Black in which I though up a silly, but effective, to advance my doubled pawns. Here’s the relevant part of the game.
[FEN "8/6p1/2p2kp1/1p1p4/p2P2K1/P1P5/1P6/8 w - - ...
1
vote
1answer
122 views
Does White have any feasible way to break through this positon?
I recently played as Black in a 1+0 blitz game on Lichess in which the below postion was reached.
[FEN ""]
1. e4 Nf6 2. Nc3 e6 3. d4 d5 4. e5g Nfd7 5. f4 Nb6 6. Nf3 Nc6 7. Bb5 Bd7 8. O-O g6 9. Bxc6 ...
8
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5answers
2k views
How to study endgames?
There are lot of recommendations on what endgame books you should read and study. But reading is just passive learning, and not so efficient.
If the book doesn't contain exercises, what is the best ...
32
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9answers
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Is it rude to ask my opponent to resign an online game when they have a lost endgame?
I really don't know if I am correct when I ask my opponent to resign when I am at a 1800-1900 ELO level. I have an Asperger disorder. To me ,endgames are more clear to play than middlegames, and the ...
6
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1answer
590 views
Is there any way white can win?
[fen "1K6/1P3q2/1P6/P7/3k4/8/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
Is there any way that white can win or draw in the above game?
8
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3answers
826 views
Which one is more important between endgame studies and tactics?
One strong player once told me that you can improve quickly if you focus more on endgame studies than on tactics training. His reasoning was that endgame studies use a few pieces to cover most of the ...
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1answer
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In a KP-K endgame, if the enemy king is in front of the pawn, is it always a draw?
In a KP-K endgame, if the enemy king is in front of the pawn, is it always a draw?
I've tried it in various positions, yet my opponent always is able to get in front somehow and promote the pawn.
I ...
5
votes
1answer
248 views
How is endgame theory developed?
First of all, I am explicitly not asking for a list of endgame principles, nor am I asking for resources to study endgames from.
My question is: How does one develop endgame theory? The main ...
5
votes
1answer
284 views
Can a player capture en passant two times in a row?
Suppose that there are only two pawns that White can use to put the Black king in check that are on the board.
But in both cases, the pawns need to move past Black pawns, risking en passant capture to ...
2
votes
1answer
208 views
How to mathematically determine if king and pawn versus king endgame is a draw or a win?
I am aware of questions such as this one which discussed a method of determining if a king pawn vs king endgame is a draw or not. The accepted answer gave detailed guidelines but is not mathematically ...
3
votes
2answers
182 views
Fairy endgame statistics for KDDDDvKN (D=dabbaba; '2,0' leaper)?
The dabbaba is a '2,0' leaper fairy piece, only able to ever reach a quarter of the squares on the board. According to the linked Wikipedia page, a quartet of them can apparently "easily" force mate ...
0
votes
1answer
115 views
Could Ding win this endgame vs Carlsen?
Could Ding win this endgame vs. Carlsen (at this point in the diagram), in the game played yesterday at Lindores Abbey? Without using engines, it seems logical to me to play 41.Re3 or 41.Rd3 (instead ...
11
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1answer
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Eight pawns vs seven exercise: how to win?
I had been thinking about exercises to help players <1400 gain confidence. For instance, they should feel confident they can always win with queen and king vs king, or rook and king vs king, even ...
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3answers
242 views
Is this KBPP vs. KR position a draw or a win with perfect play?
I played a game on Lichess today as white, and me and my opponent reached this interesting endgame position.
Note: It is black’s turn currently. The board is shown from White's point of view.
[Title ...
2
votes
2answers
136 views
If we move white's bishop to a dark square in the Fisher-Taimanov (1971) bishop vs. knight endgame, can white still win?
My coach showed me a famous game Fisher vs. Taimanov (1971) where Fisher expertly used the bishop's advantage over a knight in an endgame.
[fen ""]
[White "Robert James Fischer"]
[Black "Mark ...
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4answers
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Endgame puzzle: How to avoid stalemate and win?
I'm stuck on this problem a friend shared with me recently, with barely any pieces left and apparently white is able to force a win but I've been hitting a wall with everything I've tried so far, as ...
0
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1answer
211 views
Where is there a mate in four (pawn moves)?
From Fine's BCE:
I can only see the pawn getting to a2 after 1.d6+ Kd8 2.e6 a4 3.Kf6 a3 4.e7+ Ke8 5.Ke6 a2 6.d7#. That's three pawn moves, not four.
What is the more resistant defence I missed?
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1answer
127 views
What’s the total number of KNN vs K checkmate positions?
EDIT: What’s with all the downvotes people? I accept criticism, but I feel that someone needs to at least a say a little bit of why.
What’s the total number of KNN vs. K checkmate positions?
I ...
10
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3answers
447 views
Human-like engine for endgame training
I am doing endgame training with LucasChess (LC), but the problem is not really related to LC, but to chess engines in general.
I have this problem: See picture. When I move Kh6 in this position, ...
6
votes
1answer
244 views
Would certain checkmates be possible if the king could move into check?
Similar to a previous question of mine, let's suppose there's a piece that moves like the king, but isn't restricted from moving into check.
While a normal king and two knights can't force checkmate, ...
4
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2answers
932 views
What's the winning box for the King in a Queen against 7th rank Bishop-pawn endgame?
In a Queen vs Pawn endgame where the pawn is a Rook pawn on the 7th rank, it is a draw unless the King is inside the winning box, as shown here:
My question is what is that winning box if the pawn is ...
4
votes
2answers
254 views
Not in stalemate, but why is this a draw?
I was practicing with stockfish level 8, having two rooks in the endgame whereas stockfish has only one. At the 78th move, it was declared as a draw. But, it was not a stalemate. Can anyone please ...
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1answer
146 views
Can one win with two dark square bishops and two light square bishops and his opponent has only one queen?
Can one win with two dark square bishops and two light square bishops and his opponent has only one queen?
I remember seeing this endgame being analyzed in a video around 10 years ago (and I think ...
7
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3answers
211 views
LiChess puzzle 82753: can white win with a queen and two pawns vs. rook and four pawns?
LiChess puzzle 82753 involves a rook and pawn endgame where white sacrifices their rook to queen a pawn. The final position is the following (with black to move):
[FEN "2Q5/6p1/1K3pkp/8/8/4p3/r5PP/8 ...
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2answers
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The computer said a game was drawn but I think it is won for me [duplicate]
It's white's move and the king can't move.
Why was this game drawn? I should have won it I think.
4
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1answer
196 views
Heavy piece endgame with 2 extra pawn, how to convert?
1r6/5pk1/2q1p1pp/3p4/r2P4/2P4P/PPQ2PP1/R3R1K1 w - - 0 1
White to move.
White is 2 passed pawns up, but black is very active. I'm sure objectively white is winning, but how? Black will attack and ...
9
votes
3answers
255 views
How to improve on the early endgame?
The late middlegame/early endgame is by far my weakest point.
I often get some kind of advantage in the opening, but then struggle to convert. I do study endgames, for example I am currently reading ...
3
votes
3answers
410 views
Stuck around 2000 rating. Concrete advice for improving? [closed]
I've been stuck around the 2000 rating mark on various different online chess websites for a few years now. I seem to have hit a wall. I'm quite busy so when I do find time for chess I tend to just ...
7
votes
6answers
689 views
At what playing strength level should one be able to mate with King Bishop and Knight vs King?
As in title above, at what playing strength level should one be able to mate with King, Bishop and Knight vs King without much effort (with reasonable time left for the game)?
5
votes
1answer
119 views
How does black ensure a draw in this R+3P vs. r+2p endgame with all pawns on the same side?
From a recent world-championship game Fabiano Caruana vs Magnus Carlsen (2018), the players agreed to a draw here:
[Title "Black to move"]
[FEN "8/1r3kp1/7p/7P/4R1P1/6K1/5P2/8 b - - 2 54"]
However, ...
2
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1answer
115 views
How does the last move in the Michael Adams vs Anatoly Karpov game result in the end of the match?
In the Michael Adams vs Anatoly Karpov (1994, Dortmund GER, rd 1, Jul-15 ) match (moves listed [here][1]), the last move is indeed a check to the black king, but why did the match end after that ? I ...
5
votes
2answers
831 views
What is the simplest method to win Queen vs Knight endgame?
What method requires the least amount of memorisation (doesn't have to be shortest path to victory) for the queen vs knight ending?
I have looked at tablebases but the moves are somewhat bizarre and ...
6
votes
3answers
2k views
Can a King and Queen mate a King and Knight or is this a drawn game?
White has a King and a Queen.
Black has a King and a Knight.
It is White's move. Can White win or is this ending a draw?
3
votes
1answer
445 views
2 Knights against 1 pawn (endgame)
Why is it important to leave the opponent's pawn in this situation?
From over 7kk games only 426 ends with KNN against KP, of which 286 games (67.1%) is draw.
In the two knights endgame, how should ...
0
votes
3answers
110 views
On the feasibility of mating with knight and bishop within 50 moves using a particular method
Prove that it is possible, from any starting KBNK position, to accomplish the mate by manoeuvering to arrive at key positions from a well-known method or strategy whilst
the losing king actively tries ...
