“In order to improve your game, you must study the endgame before everything else, for whereas the endings can be studied and mastered by themselves, the middle game and the opening must be studied in relation to the endgame.” – José Raúl Capablanca
The most difficult in queen endgames is to realize minimal advantage. Queen and pawn can win against queen if the weaker side’s king is not in front of the pawn and if it is possible to prevent draw by repetition. The best chances to win are with the pawn on the seventh rank, and […]
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In a similar position, White wins even with the king on g4, because he can realize the same mating picture from the other wing. ← Basic EndingsBasic Endings →
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If his king is near enough, White may win in a mating attack after queening the pawn. ← Basic EndingsBasic Endings →
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Without the king’s help, queen cannot win against the bishop’s pawn on the seventh rank either, because Black has stalemate to defend. ← Basic EndingsBasic Endings →
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As in the example with the b-pawn, White may win even when the black king is cut off only a file away from the pawn, provided that black pieces have not reached their optimum-positions Rc8 and Ke6, i.e. Ke5. The following position has been examined by J. Nunn in 1992. Black to move may […]
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Cutting off along the sixth rank is even more efficient because the pawn is faster to avoid the opponent king’s control. White to move wins even when the black rook has already taken b-file. ← Basic EndingsBasic Endings →
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Black to move draws most simply according to Philidor, with the sixth rank defence ← Basic EndingsBasic Endings →
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In similar positions with c ( f ) -pawn, events are sequenced in the same way. White to move easily wins ← Basic EndingsBasic Endings →
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Even less favourable for Black is a similar position with the c (f) -pawn. Black to move quickly loses because on the shorter side the space is scarce. ← Basic EndingsBasic Endings →
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Even more beautiful is the study by F. Saavedra dating from 1895, which point out the unsurpassed depths of chess play. ← Basic EndingsBasic Endings →
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