The Most Hated Part of Chess: Endgame

But it holds the key to your progression

The most common misconception of increasing your online chess rating is having a good opening. Well, that is not bad. However, that shouldn't be your concern if your online rating is below 1500; especially below 1000.

The common questions I have always encountered from low-rated players are these:

What is the best opening for my rating?
Is this opening good?
Can I use London opening?
Is Caro-Kann bad for beginners?

You must level your understanding in the game itself.

Let's check your last 10 games.
In 10 games, how many times you hang your piece?
In 10 games, how many times you miss a simple tactics and capture?
In 10 games, how many times you lost the basic endgame?

By answering this we just simply dissect your chess problems.

When I was a kid, I only had this opening setup. Yet, this simple setup make me understand how to attack and where to attack. I focused first on understanding the flow of the opening to the middlegame to endgame. I keep using this opening until it became so comfortable.

But I had this one big problem.

Since, I fell in love with tactics, combinations and sacrifices I forgot to study the endgame.
When I was facing a very positional and simple-type of players, I became desperate to push my position, and when endgame came - I struggle anew.

Let me reiterate!

Studying opening is wonderful, yet, for low-rated players you must first increase your chess understanding. Level up your middlegame grip, awareness and recognition.

However don't stop...

Continue your journey to the last part of a chess game: The Endgame**!**

The transition of the opening to the middle to the endgame is what you need to be aware of. Your pieces setup and activity is your middlegame play. Hence, whatever you do in the middlegame may give you advantage or trouble in the endgame.

What must we consider in the transition from middlegame to endgame?

1. Pawn Structure

Is it connected? isolated? outside pass pawn? double pawn? back pawn?

Know the strength and weaknesses so you can immediately deal with it.

2. Endgame Is For The King

When the endgame is approaching you must have on your mind about the possible king's way out to the center of the board.

"King must be active" is the worn-out reminder in endgame.

If your middlegame is an open game and pieces are about to exchange, your king has to be ready in the war.

3. Pieces Mobility

The endgame mostly involves 1 or 2 minor / major pieces. And it's so tough to calculate. We must recognize each activity and mobility.

Knight vs Bishop, Queen vs Queen, Rook vs Rook, Queen vs 2 Rooks and so on.

Note: These two pieces are deadly when work together: Queen and Knight - Rook and Bishop

For King and Pawns Endgame these three things we must take note of during endgame.

King must be active
Pass pawn must be pushed
Opposition / Triangulation
Pattern Recognition
And...

One of the keys to make your endgame succeed is the timing or tempo. Beginners or low-rated players tend to just move without perceiving the art of timing or TEMPO.

Who will win in the endgame position?

If you say, "who is to move first?"

Then, evidently, you are missing the basic and foundation of endgame.

In this specific position, whoever to move first, the game must be a drawn game.

OK! Let me test you again and comment your answer.

Who will win if white to move? how about black to move?

Can black draw this position?

Studying endgame is significant and vital to your progression. You can't reach the level you are hunting if you neglect the very essence of the chess endgame.\

What technique you will use to this endgame for white to shrug off the black king?

By: Coach Edward of Chesscology