Learn
Judge before you play
Know the result, then steer toward it.
In the middlegame you calculate; in the endgame you must first JUDGE. Being a pawn — even a piece — ahead means nothing if the position is a theoretical draw, and a 'lost' position is often a fortress you can hold. The strongest practical skill is recognising, at a glance, whether an ending is won or drawn, so you steer toward the right goal.
This course covers the endings most players misjudge: opposite-coloured bishops (drawish), the bishop-versus-knight battle, the 'wrong bishop', rook endings (where activity is everything), queen versus pawn, and fortresses. For each, the question is the same — won or drawn? — and knowing the answer is half the battle.
- First judge the ending (won or drawn?), then choose your plan.
- Extra material can still be a draw; a worse position can still be a fortress.
- Recognising the result is the endgame's most practical skill.