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Endgame technique wins games
The few ideas that decide close games.
Endgames quietly decide more games than any opening. The good news is that a handful of precise ideas cover most of what you'll face, and once you know them you can convert won positions and save lost ones with confidence.
The foundation is king-and-pawn play. In the diagram, White's king leads in FRONT of its pawn, facing the black king with one square between — that's the opposition, the tool that pushes the enemy king aside and clears the pawn's path. Add the square of the pawn (a glance tells you whether a king catches a runner) and the rook-endgame rules, and most endings become routine.
- King first: in K+P endings, lead with the king and use the opposition.
- Rooks go BEHIND passed pawns — yours to push them, the enemy's to restrain.
- Know Lucena (the win) and Philidor (the draw) cold.
In a king-and-pawn endgame, your most important first principle is:
Answer the question to keep going!