Hi guys, I want to know some tips "rules" for playing different kind of endgames.
Like opposite colours bishop mostly leads to a draw, or knight endgame is a pawn endgame.
Recently I have heard GM Eric Hansen say that queen in an endgame is stronger than 2 rooks when there are pawns on both sides of the board which had striken me as very clever information to know.
Do you know any other tips for whatever endgames ?
1. If pawns are on both sides of the board, bishops > knights. If they are only on one side, Knights > bishops.
2. When you have a position where you can trade off a lot of pieces and reach an endgame, before trading anything, you should first consider what result you're playing for, and then which pieces you should leave on the board to get the best chance of that result happening.
For example, lets say each play has a few pieces left (and the evaluation is around 0.00), and you have the opportunity to trade off everything except a bishop for each player (of opposite colors). If I'm playing someone quite a bit higher rated than me, I would probably initiate the trades so that I have a good chance of drawing with opposite bishops, but if I'm playing someone rated lower, I would avoid the trades so that my opponent won't have the easy draw.
3. This tip is kind of related to #2, but just know which piece combinations lead to which results. Opposite bishops or rooks are more drawish than queens, for instance, since queens can single handedly guide a pawn to promotion unlike other pieces.
4. In the endgame, the player with the advantage should exchange pieces, the defender should exchange pawns.
5. The king increase in value in endgame, It becomes a fighting piece and grows from the weakest piece to one of the strongest ones. Having an active king is usually one the strongest advantage that a player can have in an endgame.
6. In the endgame, pawns increase in value as they advance past the third rank. Passed pawns must be pushed.
7. Pieces need to be active. In a bad position, sacrificing a pawn for activity is often a good idea, especially if it reduces the mobility of your opponent's pieces.
8. If you are a pawn down, try to leave the pawns on one side only.
Draws are much more likely with pawns on one wings than both.
9. In the middle game, it is usually best to have your pawns on the same color than your opponent's bishop (to limit its scope) , but in the endgame it is usually best to put your pawns on the color opposite to your opponent's bishop (to protect them).
10. The main idea of the outside past pawn is to use it as a decoy to divert the opponent king, while you attack the pawns left defenseless. The greater the distance from the outside passed pawn from the enemy king, the better.
The same idea applies to pawn majorities. The majority farthest from the opponent king is more valuable . That majority is more likely to produce a passed pawn farther from the opponent king.
11. Pawn-up rook endings are harder to win than any other pawn-up endgame except for bishop of opposite colors. For this reason, it is often a good idea to exchange the rooks if you are a pawn up (except if there are opposite color bishops on the board).
I'm not that convinced with that tip. It depend on the position. You don't need to exchange an active rook. The problem with tips is that when you have a rule, you need ten other rules to say how and when to implement it.
amazing tips guys, keep posting them and in the end we can have a good guide of how to play the endgames.
12. King vs King, Rook Pawn and Bishop of opposite colour than pawn's promoting square is a draw if the defending player can reach the promoting square with his king
My best advice, read books! Starting with pawns endgame after rook endgame.
Averbakh, Yuri - Comprehensive Chess Endings 4 - Pawn Endings
