Endgame

In chess, the endgame (or end game or ending) refers to the stage of the game when there are few pieces left on the board.

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The line between middlegame and endgame is often not clear, and may occur gradually or with the quick exchange of a few pairs of pieces. The endgame, however, tends to have quite different characteristics from the middlegame, and the players have quite different strategical concerns. In particular, pawns become more important; endgames often revolve around attempting to promote a pawn by advancing it to the eighth rank. The king, which has to be protected in the middlegame owing to the threat of checkmate, becomes a strong piece in the endgame. It can be brought to the centre of the board and be a useful attacking piece.

Related Topics:
Middlegame - Pawn - Checkmate

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Many people have composed endgame studies, endgame positions which are solved by finding a win for white when there is no obvious way of winning, or a draw when it seems white must lose.

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Endgames can be classified according to the type of pieces that remain. Some common types of endgames are discussed below.

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