Questions tagged [endgame]
Questions relating to the final stages of a game of chess, when only few pieces are left on the board.
370
questions
4
votes
1answer
83 views
Which endgame manual?
Which endgame manual do you recommend and why?
• Dvoretsky's Endgame Manual
• Fundamental Chess Endings (Muller & Lamprecht)
• Silman's Complete Endgame Course
• Some other book
I am ...
11
votes
2answers
280 views
Bishops of Opposite Colors endgame: Is this a draw?
[FEN ""]
[Event "Rated Correspondence game"]
[Site "https://lichess.org/GILERcIS"]
[Date "2020.02.26"]
[Round "-"]
[White "mathwhiz16"]
[Black "theMortician"]
[Result "1/2-1/2"]
[UTCDate "2020.02.26"]
...
7
votes
2answers
1k views
Why is the f7-g6-h5 pawn complex so important for black in rook endgames?
I was watching the chess24.com video on endgames with Mark Dvoretsky, and the video “Plus-equal mode | Part 1” covered the game Tony Miles-Simon Webb, Birmingham 1975, and we quickly get to the double-...
3
votes
1answer
137 views
What is the longest tablebase win that includes draw rules?
It has been asked the longest mate that includes draw rules is, and it is known what the longest tablebase mate is. However, what is the longest tablebase mate, i.e. 7 pieces or less, that accounts ...
1
vote
0answers
23 views
What is the longest amount of moves before an inevitable checkmate? [duplicate]
When most pieces are gone, inevitable checkmates often occur and are usually presented in the form x moves until checkmate. However, what is the biggest valid possibility of x. (By valid I mean that ...
8
votes
4answers
2k views
Understanding Carlsen's resignation in the rook and pawn endgame vs MVL
Why did Carlsen resign in the position shown below? (blitz game played in the London Chess Classic GCT Finals)
Can't white help the pawn queen after Ke3 and Kd3 then Kd4? I must be missing something.
...
3
votes
1answer
107 views
What are the specific setups to avoid perpetual checks(Queen)? [closed]
I was wondering if there certain setups with pieces, pawns, or both which avoid perpetual checks. I know an important setup is the one below where it's essentially a fortress type of a position for ...
13
votes
3answers
2k views
Good Knight Against Bad Bishop Endgame - A More Constructive Plan?
I reached the position below in a recent tournament game
[Event "Recent Tournament"]
[Site "Deepest, Darkest Oxfordshire"]
[Date "Feb 2020"]
[White "Ian Bush"]
[Black "A Young Victim"]
[Result "1-0"]
...
2
votes
2answers
118 views
Structure-better structure or bishop pair in the endgame?
Does the bishop pair compensate for doubled pawns if there are no rooks to attack with the bishops in the endgame?
15
votes
3answers
2k views
Knight vs bishop endgame in Fabiano Caruana vs Hou Yifan 2018
I am currently studying the classical game of Fabiano Caruana vs Hou Yifan played in 2018. The game ended in a fighting draw, but for the most part of the ending, starting from move 55 onward (see ...
4
votes
2answers
86 views
How did Timman decide on d5 in this position?
In Gheorghiu-Timman 1982, how did Timman decide to play 34…d5? It seems like an amazing move to find.
[FEN "2r5/p1r2b2/1p1p1k1p/PP2ppp1/2P2P2/3KP1P1/2RN3P/2R5 b - - 0 1"]
1... d5
14
votes
4answers
2k views
The difficulty of finding the winning idea in this knight versus bishop endgame
I recently finished a tournament game on chess.com as Black that ended in a draw. It was a knight (me) vs. bishop endgame with pawns strewn across the board. Here is the entire game.
[Title "...
33
votes
2answers
4k views
Demystifying Seirawan-Kasparov 1983 king and pawn endgame
I am currently studying the Tarrasch Defense 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c5, and naturally I've stumbled upon many Kasparov games as he frequentloy and quite successfully employed this opening throughout ...
8
votes
6answers
319 views
What is important in the endgame besides centralization and activity?
I'm a little confused about this. I know pawn structure and centralization of the king is essential in the endgame and I also know that activity, especially from the rooks is very important. Playing ...
7
votes
2answers
476 views
Is this K+4P vs KB+P endgame drawn?
Is that position always a draw? I've tried to play it few times and I always end with lone bishop or a stalemate
8/3k3/p7/2Pb4/PP6/2KP4/8/8 w KQkq - 0 1
5
votes
2answers
1k views
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
votes
2answers
112 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 ...
10
votes
2answers
3k views
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
votes
2answers
2k views
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
131 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
votes
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
60 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 ...
10
votes
4answers
2k views
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
votes
2answers
3k views
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
101 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?
2
votes
2answers
354 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
votes
3answers
157 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
143 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
votes
2answers
114 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
113 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
votes
6answers
7k views
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 - - ...
2
votes
2answers
189 views
Does White have any feasible way to break through this position?
I recently played as Black in a 1+0 blitz game on Lichess in which the below position 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
votes
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
votes
9answers
18k views
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 ...
asked Sep 1 '19 at 19:44
Universal_learner folding home
2,4151 gold badge8 silver badges33 bronze badges
6
votes
1answer
641 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
votes
3answers
848 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 ...
5
votes
1answer
2k views
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
2answers
286 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
309 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
254 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
194 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
120 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
votes
1answer
1k views
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 ...
2
votes
3answers
268 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.
[Title "Rewan Demontay-NN, Lichess, 5/14/19"]
[StartFlipped "0"]
[FEN "8/8/3r1kP1/5B2/4PK2/...
2
votes
2answers
147 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 ...
30
votes
4answers
4k views
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
votes
1answer
213 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?
10
votes
3answers
495 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
258 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
votes
2answers
958 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 ...
