Chess endgames for beginners

Most beginner games are won or lost in the endgame, when there are few pieces left and one mistake decides everything. You don't need to study hundreds of positions. Learn these few cold and you'll convert wins other players throw away.

1. Two basic checkmates

Know how to mate with king and queen, and king and rook, against a lone king. The idea is the same: use your king and the piece together to push the enemy king to the edge, then deliver mate. If you can't finish these, you'll draw (or lose on time) games you completely dominated.

2. The square of the pawn

When it's a lone passed pawn racing against the enemy king, you don't have to calculate move by move. Picture the square from the pawn to its promotion square. If the enemy king can step into that square, it catches the pawn. If not, the pawn queens. This one trick decides countless endgames.

3. King and pawn vs king (the opposition)

The most important pawn endgame. To promote a pawn, your king usually needs to get in front of it and take the opposition (the kings facing each other with one square between them, on the opponent's move). Learn this single idea and you'll win or draw almost every king-and-pawn ending correctly.

4. Activate your king

In the middlegame the king hides. In the endgame it's a fighting piece, often the strongest one. When the queens come off, march your king toward the action. A passive king in the endgame loses; an active one wins.