Examine the diagram to the right. It's white's move. Should he exchange queens? The question, of course, boils down to: will white be able to promote the pawn after he exchanges queens? The answer is "yes." However, this might be a bit difficult to see if you didn't know a few basic principles of pawn play in the ending. It's in the endgame that pawns come into their own. In fact, the most common way of winning a chess game (barring an early resignation from your opponent) is to promote--or threaten to promote--a pawn in the ending. Against someone close to your own strength, it will almost certainly come down to this. Now your one-pawn advantage tells the tale. You need to know how to promote it.
In the position above, white should play 1. Qxc8+ Black, of course, is obliged to capture. 1...Kxc8 2. Ke6 The white king steps up to support the pawn. 2...Kd8 The black king tries to stay in front of the pawn. It is the only way to stop it. 3. d7 White has just executed the squeeze. The black king will be squeezed out from in front of the white pawn. To execute the squeeze properly, the pawn must be moved to the 7th rank without giving check to the enemy king. 3...Kc7 4. Ke7 The white king now controls the queening square, and black might as well resign. On the next move, white is getting a new queen. Now suppose this had gone somewhat differently. Suppose white had decided not to exchange queens. 1. Kf6? The game is now drawn, illustrating how important it is to know how to promote a pawn. One slip and the win evaporates! 1...Qxe6+! The player of the black pieces knows what to do! 2. Kxe6 Ke8 Now how does white advance the pawn without giving check? He can't: 3. d7+ Kd8 4. Kd6 stalemate. The game is drawn. This is what the defensive player is always shooting for in these situations. Make the owner of the pawn check you when he pushes to the 7th, and you've got a draw! White decides to try something else. 2. Kf6 Kd7! But black isn't fooled. The defending king should be immediately in front of the pawn if it possibly can be. Notice that 2...Kf8?? 3. d7 loses for black. 3. Ke5 Kd8! In situations like these where the offensive king defends the pawn from behind, and the defending king cannot stay on the square immediately in front of the pawn, the defender should step straight back, staying in front of the pawn until the offensive king steps up. 4. Ke6 Ke8! We've been here before. White can make no progress, and the game is drawn.
In the position at left, should white capture the black knight? No way! 1. Qxe6? Qxe6+ 2. Kxe6 Ke8 and the game is a draw. White will not be able to push the pawn without check. The position of the two kings at this point is called opposition, and the rule is when two kings face each other with one square between them, the side that does NOT have to move has the opposition. Having the opposition is an important weapon in pawn endings like this. Black has taken the opposition from white, and white will not be able to promote the pawn. So, going back to the original position, can white win? Yes, she can, but she will have to find a way to trade queens and capture the knight that will give her the opposition. 1. Qa5+! Kd7 2. Qb5+ Kd8 Quite hopeless for black would be 2...Kxd6 3. Qxe8, although white would have to know how to handle it. 3. Qxe8+ Kxe8 4. Kxe6 And now it's white who has the opposition. This will make the squeeze possible. 4...Kd8 5. d7 Black will be squeezed from in front of the pawn. White wins.
It's white's move in the position at right. What should he do? 1. Rxe5+? Kxe5 White has thrown the game away. The white king will be unable to obtain the opposition (if black plays correctly), and so he will not be able to promote the pawn. Let's follow it for a few more moves. 2. e4 Ke6! Remember, straight back when your enemy defends his pawn from behind. 3. Kd4 Kd6! Black grabs the opposition at the first opportunity. The game is drawn. 4. e5+ Ke6 The defending king stays immediately in front of the pawn when he can. 5. Ke4 Ke7 And he steps straight back when the enemy king defends his pawn from behind. 6. Kf4 White attempts to fake black out. 6...Ke6! But black doesn't hesitate to move right back in front of the pawn. You shouldn't even need to think about it! 7. Ke5 Ke7 8. Kf5 Kf7! And now the black king takes the opposition. This is dead drawn. 9. e6+ Ke7 10. Ke5 Ke8 11. Kd6 Kd8 12. e7+ Ke8 13. Ke6 stalemate. In the original position, white should have played 1. Kd4! The black rook is pinned and must now be exchanged or lost. 1...Rxe4+ 2. Kxe4 Now it's white who has the opposition. White is going to promote the pawn, if he watches his step. Now the black king must step out of the way, and the white king will step ahead, gaining ground and defending more of the squares on the way to the promotion square. 2...Kd6 3. Kf5! Ke7 4. Ke5! White keeps a firm lock on the opposition. Had he pushed the pawn instead: 4. e4? Kf7 5. Ke5 Ke7 6. Kd5 Kd7 7. e5 Ke7 Black grabs the opposition and holds it tenaciously until white pushes the pawn, then the black king steps in front of the pawn--draw. 4...Kf7 5. Kd6 This is called outflanking. White gains ground by taking the opposition and forcing the black king to step aside and then outflanking him. 5...Ke8 6. e4 Now that he has a couple moves in reserve with the pawn, white can afford to bring the pawn up. Black will try to steal the opposition, but white still has a pawn move so will take it right back again. 6...Kd8 7. e5 Ke8 But now white must be careful. A pawn push here would toss the game away: 8. e6? Kd8 9. e7+ Ke8 10. Ke6 draw. 8. Ke6! So white takes the opposition again. Slow and easy wins the race. 8...Kf8 9. Kd7 and white will win because he controls all the squares on the way to promotion. Black can safely resign. 9...Kf7 10. e6+ Kf8 11. e7+ Okay, so white has advanced his pawn to the 7th with check, but the important point here is that black cannot move in front of the pawn, because that square is defended by the white king. 11...Kg7 12. e8=Q and white will win.
Mastering pawn promotion in the endgame requires practice. There are many nuances and tricks. This lesson has taught you the basics.
In general, the endgame is reached when the material on the board is reduced enough that the kings feel safe in coming out and joining the fight. Here are the general rules you should following during endgame play: 1) Activate your king and post it as aggressively as possible, taking the opposition when appropriate. Keep your opponent's king away from the action. 2) Tie your opponent's pieces down to defensive tasks. 3) Limit your opponent's counterplay as much as possible. 4) Keep your own pieces mobile while trying to immobilize your opponent's pieces. 5) Don't forget your basic tactics. In short, the endgame is not so different from any other phase of the game!
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