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Recap: keep enough force
What to keep, what to avoid.
When you simplify a winning game, keep mating material: a queen, a rook, two bishops, or a pawn that can promote. Don't trade down to a lone knight or bishop — that's only a draw. And whenever you're winning, watch for stalemate: leave the lone king a square until the move you actually mate.
The surest way to make all of this automatic is reps against a real opponent. Practice converting winning endgames in the Endgame Trainer.
- Keep a queen, rook, two bishops, or a promoting pawn.
- Lone bishop, lone knight, or two knights vs a bare king = draw.
- Always leave an escape square until the mating move.