1. THE KING

During the early and middle part of the game, the King must be carefully protected and hidden away. When the endgame arrives, however, there is little danger of checkmate, unless one player promotes a pawn. Therefore, when the endgame is reached, the King MUST BE ACTIVE as it is a very good attacking and defensive piece. The King has an endgame playing value of approximately a knight or bishop.

 

2. PAWNS

Pawn structure is very important, particularly in endgames.

(a)   ‘Doubled’ pawns (2 pawns on the same file) are normally considered a weakness: try to avoid doubled pawns.

(b)   ‘Isolated’ pawns (pawns that have no friendly pawns on adjacent files) are a definite weakness: try to avoid isolated pawns.

(c)   ‘Passed pawns’ (a pawn that has no enemy pawns on the same or adjacent files) is an advantage, sometimes a really big advantage. These pawns must be carefully guarded and pushed towards promotion at every opportunity.

(d)   If your opponent has a passed pawn, the best piece to place in front of it is a knight.

(e)   If you are ahead in pawns, try to exchange pieces, BUT NOT pawns. To understand why, set up a position where one side has, say, a 2 pawn advantage, then REMOVE ALL THE PIECES (except the Kings, of course). You should then be able to quickly see a winning line for the side with the extra pawns.

(f)     If you are behind in pawns, try to exchange pawns, BUT NOT pieces.

(g)   If you are ahead in the game, try to leave pawns on both sides of the board.

(h)   In most cases, a single pawn advantage is not enough to win, if there are pawns on only one side of the board.

(i)     The easiest endings to win are King + Pawn endings, i.e. endings with no pieces on the board.

(j)      Rook pawns (a-pawns or h-pawns) are the most difficult to promote.

(k)   Do not place pawns on the same colour of squares on which your bishop travels.

 

3. BISHOPS

(a)   Two bishops versus a Bishop and a Knight is usually an advantage, but two bishops versus two knights is a definite advantage.

(b)   Bishops are better than knights in most cases, but not when there is a blocked pawn position, or when friendly pawns are on the same colour squares as the Bishop.

(c)   The easiest endings to draw are those with players having Bishops that travel on opposite coloured squares.

(d)   Positions where a player has a rook-pawn, plus a Bishop travelling on the opposite colour square to that of the promotion square cannot be won IF THE DEFENDING KING CAN REACH THE PROMOTION SQUARE

 

4. ROOKS

(a)   Rooks require open spaces to get the best from them. In endgames, keep them at distance from the opponents King.

(b)   Rooks should be place behind pawns, whether they are friendly pawns or the opponent’s pawns.

(c)   A rook on the seventh rank is worth an extra pawn.