Questions tagged [endgame]
Questions relating to the final stages of a game of chess, when only few pieces are left on the board.
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Finding all critical endgames
A winning position is called critical, if all moves - except one - draw or lose (assuming the opponent plays perfectly). Similarly, a drawn chess position is called critical, if all moves - except one ...
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Need Techniques for Bishop and Knight Checkmate
I understand the process for how to checkmate once in this position:
[fen "7k/8/5K2/5B2/5N2/8/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
But I need a technique for reliably getting into that kind of position from, ...
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How to find only-winning moves in the endgame?
Black to move here.
I played 1... Rf5. Intending to cut off the king.
But the only winning move in this position is e5.
My question is, how do you find such a move? Is it pure calculation, or is it ...
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Can Black draw this game? [closed]
Carlsen-Svidler 2010 Blitz. Black to move. Can he draw by perpetual checks? In the actual game, he resigned two moves later.
[FEN "6R1/8/3B4/5K1k/r7/8/8/8 b - - 0 1"]
[StartFlipped "0&...
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Insufficient material rule [closed]
As I understand chess rules, insufficient material means K vs. K, K vs. KB, or K vs. KN. (Correct me if I am wrong.)
But what about KB vs. KB when both bishops are in the same colored square? Am I ...
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Is there a mathematical theorem that you can use to win a chess endgame?
Have mathematicians created any theorem that determines the outcome of a endgame? If so, how could it be used to win a specific endgame?
user26887
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2P winning against Q
Inspiration
BCLC guessed (see link) that even only 2P can win against Q, even if the Q side has the move, if they are advanced far enough. I quickly checked a few promising position candidates in a ...
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What should be my move as white and what kind endgame should i target?
I played this game with an AI. I played brilliantly till this position presented itself.
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What will happen if you have a position where no one can lose?
What will happen if you have a position where no one can lose?
[fen "5k2/8/1p1p1p2/pBpP1Pp1/P1PpK1P1/1P1Pb3/8/8 b - - 0 1"]
Here is my game, I know it is live960 but I was wondering the ...
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Technique to draw this rook endgame
I'm familiar with the technique of drawing this endgame with White:
[fen "8/R4pk1/6p1/7p/7P/6P1/p4PK1/r7 w - - 0 1"]
However, I faced an endgame yesterday that's objectively a draw, but ...
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Before Qe6 in game 6 of the 2021 World Chess Championship, was it really a draw?
In game 6 of the World Championship 2021 between Magnus Carlsen and Ian Nepomniachtchi, before Qe6 the engine says +0.9 at around depth 30/99, but I heard supposedly it's a (theoretical) draw. I know ...
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What's the idea of 'all rook endgames are drawn' ? i think opposite coloured bishop endgames and even queen endgames are more drawish
Quote: 'all rook endgames are drawn', 'All rook endings are drawn' or 'All rook and pawn endings are drawn.'
For queen endgames, Karsten Müller even gives a way of visualising this (not quite Karsten ...
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Has Explainable AI been applied to the endgame tablebases?
There's an ongoing trend towards building 'Explainable' AI so that not just the results of a decision process are generated, but also some form of human-readable explanation for it. The Wikipedia ...
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On average, how many pawns are there at the start of the endgame?
Question: On average, how many pawns are there at the start of the endgame?
To answer:
You can choose your definition of the endgame as long as you can show a credible reference that supports your ...
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How does Anna Rudolf beat Hikaru Nakamura in this rook vs queen endgame fortress that came from a choker game (chess + poker)?
Position that follows is from Anna Rudolf's video 'Challenging Top Chess Grandmaster Hikaru Nakamura for a Choker Match!':
[FEN "8/5p2/8/2qkp3/4R1P1/5P2/3KP3/8 b - - 0 1"]
Also, here's a ...
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King's alternative routes to reach a destination square
What are the alternative routes that king can go to destination square like king can go from one edge to another edge in 7 moves but it has many alternative paths to reach there in 7 moves.
Please ...
user30256
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Is it possible for White to win in this rook and knight endgame?
In a game I recently played, I was playing White and I blundered quite a bit to reach this position.
[FEN "8/R1N4p/2k5/1pn1K3/8/3r4/P4r2/8 w - - 0 1"]
Is it possible for White to win at ...
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Long tablebase wins in tournament praxis
I very much assume that KBB/KN endgames already occurred often enough in OTB play, and I also bet the B side always played on for a win (regardless whether this was after the computer proved it was a ...
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Collection of short endgame rules
Are there any resources with a list of short endgame facts and rules ? For instance : "2 connected pawns on the 6th rank always win against a rook" , "rook's pawn results often in a ...
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Opening and endgame experts in chess
There are famous players who are called endgame experts ("opening expert" IMHO is less used), e.g. Rubinstein. Now obviously, to be a GM, you have to know a bit of all game phases, and a ...
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Pogchamps: How does Michelle Khare beat Pokimane (rook and knight vs rook pair)?
From pogchamps, specifically semifinals of consolation bracket of pogchamps 3:
[FEN "4k3/7p/5p2/8/P2rr3/5N2/6PP/4R1K1 w - - 0 1"]
Black (Michelle Khare) just blundered a rook, but white (...
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Why do people say you can't mate with just a bishop? [closed]
I mean, looks pretty checkmate to me.
Everywhere I look this up, they never speak about the fact that it is at least theoretically possible to win with just a bishop and a king. Why is that? I mean ...
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Rook vs Bishop endgame
In the following endgame position, from Dautov vs Heinemann, from the book FUNDAMENTAL CHESS ENDING, what happens with perfect play?
[FEN "R7/5pkp/4b1p1/3p4/8/5P2/5KPP/8 b - - 0 1"]
The ...
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How can I query an endgame tablebase for multiple positions using loops/conditional statements?
In textbooks you find diagrams about key squares and similar concepts. For example, white can promote a pawn if white's king can control three particular squares infront of the pawn. I would like to ...
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Can black win this pawn ending?
Black to move. My computer gives the evaluation -2.5 but I can't find the winning sequence for black.
[FEN "6k1/6pp/4p3/3pP3/2pP1PP1/1p6/1K5P/8 b - - 0 1"]
(Black goes up the board)
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Are tactics or endgames more important?
I’ve seen a lot of strong players say at lower levels all you need to do is get really good at tactics, but, I’ve also seen a lot of people say that you should study the endgame before the opening or ...
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Why does chess.com consider this promotion a blunder?
I've just played a game on Chess.com, and I'm surprised that the engine considers a promotion that I made a huge blunder. Like, my position was rated -62.8 (basically a won game), and after I promoted ...
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Ulf Andersson vs Robert Huebner 1981 rook endgame: the mistake here is Rd8 right?
Click here for engine re position below
8/3r4/1kp2p1p/ppRp2pP/3PP1P1/3K1P2/PP6/8 w - - 0 1
From hanging pawns in The Principle of Two Weaknesses in the Endgame at 9:02 (the game is discussed from 0:...
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akiba rubinstein vs alexander alekhine 1911 rook endgame: the mistake here is Rxb5 right?
Current 4 follow-up questions for the answer (currently just 1 answer):
A - engine says Kf5 is a blunder. Did you mean Kf6?
B - engine says Kf5 Re7 is a blunder. Did you mean Kf5 Rd7? Kf5 Re7 blunders ...
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When can a player with just a bishop/knight vs overwhelming material claim a win on time?
Is there any program or algorithm that determines conclusively whether or not a person at severe material disadvantage can claim a win on time?
This question got me thinking about precise parameters ...
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What constitutes a draw?
I know what makes a game a stalemate, and I know that stalemate is 1/2 point to everyone, and I assume draw is the same, but can there be a draw without a stalemate?
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Why is this position drawn?
This position was reached in semi-final game 1 of FIDE world cup 2021. With black to play the players agreed to a draw. The white is up a pawn and looks to be winning? I am not able to figure out a ...
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Is this endgame a draw?
I reached this position in a game. I don't think either side can force a win?
White to move.
[FEN "8/pB6/P7/4pK2/3b1p2/5P2/3k4/8 w - - 0 1"]
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How do I handle drawn positions in zero time increment games?
I recently found myself in a drawn position (king and rook for each side) in a zero increment online game. I had about 10 seconds on my clock, my opponent had about 20 seconds. He ignored draw offers, ...
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Why does Stockfish evaluate this position as equal?
After solving the puzzle while I was analyzing this endgame, I was just surprised to see stockfish evaluates this position as equal.
After Ke4, Ke6 (Opposition); Kf4, and f5 -- I can't find out any ...
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Why is there association between a queenless position and the endgame?
Why does there seem to be some idea that trading queens is the start of the endgame? What does trading queens have to do with the endgame? Why are queenless positions often considered to be endgame ...
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Interesting knight vs bishop endgame
The following endgame, from Almasi vs Sanikidze, is becoming a real riddle. The position, after the 43th move by Almasi, is the following:
[fen "8/1N4k1/7p/4ppbP/4P3/1PP5/1K6/8 b - - 0 1"]
...
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A critical endgame in the French Winaver
This endgame may even be critical of the entire variation. Stockfish 13 on move 34 depth 70/94 11.3 M of six men tablebases suggest a line that lead to the following endgame.
[FEN "8/2k5/1p4bP/...
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A classical Rook vs Bishop endgame (with pawns)
Karsten Müller and Lamprecht give the following ending as a win in Fundamental Chess Ending. However, Houdini 6.02 does not find a win as far as I analyzed.
[FEN "R7/5pkp/4b1p1/3p4/8/5P2/5KPP/8 b ...
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Better-known term for "cyclic" zugzwang?
What's the term for a zugzwang position P where
White is winning, with or without the move
White's best way to win from P is to execute a tempo-losing manoeuvre which leads back to P with Black to ...
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How difficult is it to win a winning endgame against an engine?
Consider an endgame like the one shown below (white to move):
[fen "5k2/5p2/r7/8/6R1/4b1PP/8/5R1K w - - 0 50"]
Stockfish gives white a solid +3 advantage here and that seems appropriate ...
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Can this '+3.9' advantage be converted to a win?
I reached this endgame, which Stockfish 10+ evaluates as +3.9, but failed to convert it to a win. I feel that it may be a draw after all. Is that the case?
[Title "White to move"]
[FEN "...
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Description of rectangular opposition in Silman's Complete Endgame Course
In Silman's Complete Endgame Course, the author gives this rule in order to gain the Opposition when there isn't a direct connection in between the kings:
In this type of situation, the rule is to ...
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Would there be more decisive games if we began to see stalemates as checkmates? And hence more "interesting" chess? [closed]
I think it is up for debate as to whether a stalemate should be a win or a draw. I agree stalemates make beginner chess more interesting but we rarely see games at international level end in stalemate....
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An important and interesting Bishop endgame
In a 1993 game played by Wojtkiewitz vs Khalifman, the following endgame appeared on the board. Black to move.
[FEN "5k2/1p4p1/1p2bp1p/3p4/5PP1/P3P2P/1P1K2B1/8 b - - 0 1"]
Stockfish gives +...
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How did chess change over the 2010s and should I keep anything in mind for buying books from before 2010?
I presume I am being overly paranoid regarding this, and I definitely don't intend to turn away from older books at all, but were there any developments opening-wise, middlegame-wise, or endgame-wise ...
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Queen versus rook endgame: to check or not to check?
Most tutorials the K+Q versus K+R endgame claim that at some stage, the key is to force the rook away from the king, then it is supposed to be easy: give a series of checks and fork/skewer the rook.
...
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What is the correct way to play this endgame?
[FEN "4k3/1pp2ppp/p1p5/8/4P3/8/PPP2PPP/4K3 w - - 0 1"]
I win this position vs the computer sometimes, and sometimes not. But I assume there is a principal way to play this endgame that ...
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An incredibile endgame
Is the following position
[FEN "8/P1R5/K3p3/4k3/B3b3/8/8/1r6 w - - 0 1"]
a win ( for White) or a draw? The position above is derived from a variation of Stockfish vs Komodo TCEC Season 19 ...
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How did I get a checkmate in this game?
This is a position from an endgame I played that I do not understand. How did I get a checkmate in this game? Is this a glitch? I ask this because I am pretty sure that Black's queen could take my ...
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