Endgame chess terms
Every endgame term, defined and illustrated.
- Endgame
Active king
An active king is a king that participates directly in the game by moving toward the center or the opponent’s pawns to exert concrete pressure on the position.
- Endgame
Bishop endgame
A bishop endgame is a phase of the game in which both sides have only bishops (and possibly pawns) remaining on the board.
- Endgame
Direct opposition
Direct opposition is an endgame configuration in which the two kings face each other on the same rank or file, separated by exactly one square, with the opponent having the move.
- Endgame
Distant opposition
Distant opposition is an endgame technique in which the two kings face each other on the same file or rank, separated by an odd number of squares greater than one — typically three or five — so that the side not to move holds the opposition.
- Endgame
Endgame zugzwang
Endgame zugzwang is a situation in which the player whose turn it is to move is forced to worsen their own position, because every legal move available to them is detrimental.
- Endgame
Fifty-move rule
The fifty move rule is an official chess rule that allows a player to claim a draw if fifty consecutive moves have been played by each side without any pawn move or capture.
- Endgame
Insufficient material
Insufficient material is a situation in which a player no longer has the pieces needed to deliver checkmate, regardless of how the position plays out.
- Endgame
Key squares
Key squares are specific squares on the board whose lasting occupation by the king (or another piece) guarantees the conversion of an endgame advantage, most commonly by ensuring a pawn's promotion.
- Endgame
King and pawn vs king
The king and pawn vs king endgame is one of the most fundamental endings in chess: one side has a king and a single pawn against a lone king.
- Endgame
King and queen mate
The king and queen mate is a fundamental chess endgame technique that consists of forcing the opposing king to the edge or corner of the board using your king and queen, then delivering checkmate.
- Endgame
King and rook mate
King and rook mate is a fundamental endgame technique in which the stronger side uses a king and a rook to force the opponent’s king to the edge of the board and deliver checkmate.
- Endgame
King centralization
King centralization is the endgame principle of bringing the king toward the center of the board so that it becomes an active piece.
- Endgame
Knight endgame
A knight endgame is a phase of the game in which both sides have only knights (and pawns) remaining as active pieces, with no rooks, bishops, or queens on the board.
- Endgame
Lucena position
The Lucena position is a fundamental rook endgame configuration in which the side with the passed pawn has advanced it to the seventh rank and can force a win using a precise technique known as "building a bridge." In this position, the attacking king stands on the adjacent file at the seventh rank…
- Endgame
Mating pattern
A mating pattern is a recurring arrangement of pieces that delivers checkmate in a recognisable, repeatable configuration.
- Endgame
Opposite-colored bishops
Opposite colored bishops describes a situation where each side has one bishop travelling on squares of a different colour: one moves only on the light squares, the other only on the dark squares.
- Endgame
Opposition
Opposition is an endgame technique in which two kings face each other on the same rank or file, separated by an odd number of squares, with the player whose turn it is to move forced to give ground.
- Endgame
Passed pawn endgame
A passed pawn in the endgame is a pawn with no opposing pawns on its file or on either adjacent file, whose promotion to a queen becomes the central objective of the endgame phase.
- Endgame
Pawn endgame
A pawn endgame is a phase of the chess game where both sides have only their king and pawns remaining, all other pieces having been exchanged off the board.
- Endgame
Philidor position
The Philidor position is a fundamental defensive technique in rook and pawn vs.
- Endgame
Queen vs pawn endgame
A queen vs pawn endgame is an endgame where one side has only a queen, while the other side has only a single advanced pawn — typically on the sixth or seventh rank — with no other pieces on either side.
- Endgame
Rook endgame
A rook endgame is a phase of the game where both sides have only rooks remaining (with or without pawns), all other pieces having been exchanged.
- Endgame
Rule of the square
The rule of the square is a visual calculation technique used in endgames to determine, without counting move by move, whether a king can catch a passed pawn before it promotes to a queen.
- Endgame
Theoretical draw
A theoretical draw is a chess position in which, no matter how both players continue, the game cannot end in checkmate: it will inevitably result in a draw with perfect play from both sides.
- Endgame
Triangulation
Triangulation is an endgame technique in which a king takes a three square detour — tracing a triangle — to transfer the move to the opponent, placing them in zugzwang (a situation where any move worsens their position).
- Endgame
Two bishops mate
The two bishops mate is an endgame technique that forces checkmate using two bishops in coordination with the king, without the support of additional active pieces.