“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
Owing to the flexibility of the knight’s leap and possibility of approaching the target by two different routes, it is advisable, as a rule, to wait for the knight’s reaction by playing a useful pawn move rather than show one’s intentions by moving the king immediately. This is a study by F. Prokop, 1925.
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Rook against Bishop and Two Pawns Bishop and Two Pawns are in endgame usually much stronger than a rook. Evaluation of the position mostly depends on pawn structure, distance to promotion square and piece activity. We will divide these endgames accordingly: with connected pawns, with isolated (disconnected) pawns, with doubled pawns. a ) Endings […]
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In endgames with rim pawn and the “bad” bishop ( that is, wrong-colored bishop ) a special meaning belongs to the warning to avoid a too early and too far advance of the pawn. When the h-pawn is on the sixth rank, Black easily draws with a «bad» bishop by keeping it on the […]
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I ) When the white king is on e6, Black to move draws. ← Basic EndingsBasic Endings →
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H ) When the white king is on e5, Black to move loses. ← Basic EndingsBasic Endings →
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G ) When the white king is on f5, Black to move draws ← Basic EndingsBasic Endings →
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F ) When the white king is on e4, Black to move loses because he cannot reach Vancura’s position. Namely, if 1…Rf1 there goes 2.Ke5, if 1…Rc1 2.Kd5 The most resistant is: ← Basic EndingsBasic Endings →
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E ) When the white king is on f4 Black must not play 1…Rf1+ 2.Ke5 Rf6 due to 3.Rg8+. However, Black to move draws with: ← Basic EndingsBasic Endings →
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D ) If the king is on the third tank ( e3, f3, g3 or h3 ) Black to move draws by transferring the rook with tempo onto the sixth rank. When the white king is on d3, Black to move loses the game. ← Basic EndingsBasic Endings →
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C ) When the white king is on d2, Black to move can still draw with 1…Rb1 followed by Rb6. However, when the white king is on c2, Black to move cannot avoid losing the game. The reason is the White’s attack on the rook which may gain him a crucial tempo to approach […]
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