Elementary Technique

Josef Kling and Bernhard Horwitz, Chess Studies, or Endings of Games (London, 1851) was one of the earliest books to emphasize chess endings. It was written in English descriptive notation, so even the presence of a free digital version does not make it particularly accessible to today’s chess players. Happily, Carsten Hansen has brought out a new edition containing the text of the 1851 edition, an expanded edition Horwitz was preparing when he died, and thorough analysis of their work. Hansen’s edition is published as part of his Alexander Game Books Classics series, available through Amazon.

A position in the original 1851 edition will serve as part of my lessons with young chess players this week, as it offers some elementary instruction in techniques that every chess player needs.

Kling and Horwitz note the beginner’s tendency to prematurely push a pawn—something I’ve observed in many hundreds of youth games over the past couple of decades. They note that rooks can be forced off the board, leading to an easily won pawn ending. When I played it against Stockfish, I reached a position that is also reached when playing the first and most elementary position in the book.

After the moves given by Kling and Horwitz, 1.Re3+ Rxe3 2.fxe3, Black is in zugzwang. Black loses because required to move. Were it White’s move, the game would be drawn.

Black to move

2…Kxe3

This move is marginally more testing than 2…Kxg3. In both cases, White will employ the same technique to bring the remaining pawn close to promotion. But, with the g-pawn, there will be stalemate dangers that do not surface while trying to promote the e-pawn.

Here, again, the beginner must learn not to hastily push the pawn. Rather, White’s king must work its way in front of the pawn to control the key squares.

3.Kg2 Ke4 4.Kh3 Kf5 5.Kh4 Kg6

White to move

The beginner’s game begins to improve when they learn to move the king in front of the passed pawn. Such placement is as vital for the defender as for the stronger side. 

6.Kg4 Kf7 7.Kg5 Kg7

Black, seizing the opposition, puts up the most stubborn defense. Now, and only now, White may advance the pawn. In this case, that takes the opposition from Black.

8.g4 Kh7

White to move

Once beginners have learned to curb the tendency to push the pawn too soon, and have learned the concept of gaining the opposition, the next step is to understand that opposition is only a means to an end. Here, taking the opposition fails to make progress. White must perform an outflanking maneuver to gain control of one of the key squares—f7, g7, h7.

9.Kf6 Kh6 10.g4+ Kh7

This is the first position in Kling and Horwitz, Chess Studies.

11.Kf7 Kh8

White to move

Now, White must be wary of the stalemate danger.

12.Kg6

12.g6 would leave Black no legal moves, ending the game with a draw.

12…Kg8 

White to move

13.Kh6

13.Kf6 does not spoil the win, but the game must return to the same position for another opportunity to play the correct move.

13…Kf7

The engine opts for the longest distance to mate. While testing students, I choose 13…Kh8 so they must show that they understand that pushing the pawn works here. 14.g6 Kg8 15.g7 Kf7 16.Kh7.

For my beginning students, we are likely to continue all the way to checkmate.

Blown Endings

A few years ago, I created a database of positions from my own games where I or my opponent, and sometimes both, had tossed away a win or draw in the endgame through some fundamental and instructive error. Many of these were from online blitz games played under time pressure. When a global pandemic gave me the gift of thousands of youth games with complete and accurate notation, I culled more instructive positions from games played in online youth events. Last week, I added more positions from some recent online play. I have been using these in lessons with students.

This is a sample.

White to move

From one of many online chess tournaments with the Spokane Chess Club in 2020. I was White against Kenny Erickson.

60.e4?? Rb4?? 61.Kf5 and I managed to draw after blowing the draw only to benefit from Kenny answering my error with one of his own. How would you have played the game?

Near the same time, in the World Open Blitz Championship, I threw away the game, but then drew when my opponent returned the favor.

Black to move

41...Kf8??+- 42.d7! Rf4+ 43.Ke3?? 43.Rd4= and we agreed to a draw after 12 more moves.

My opponent, FM David Sprenkle, pointed out a likely draw in the second game of the 2008 City Championship. I had Black.

Black to move

What would you play?

In the 2021 Washington State Elementary Chess Championship, third grade section, Black could have drawn this game with correct play.

Black to move

54...Kxb5?? gave White a winning advantage.

The next position is from the 2020 Washington State Elementary Chess Championship, fourth grade section. Black has a winning position, but misplayed it.

Black to move

What would you play?

I analyzed my error that led to this next position and how my opponent returned the favor in "The Difference of One Tempo".

Black to move

The next position is quite memorable, although I missed the win in an online blitz game on Internet Chess Club in 2003.

Black to move

What is the winning idea that I had not yet sufficiently absorbed from my studies?

This final position has vexed my students this week, as it vexed my opponent when it was played on Monday. Black is not winning, but won.

White to move

Can you discern what is important and hence the way White can draw?

The Difference of One Tempo

Yesterday, I reached a clearly winning pawn ending and blew it. My opponent then returned the favor and gave me the victory. Our errors have some instructive value. There is a difference of one tempo between the position reached in the game and the position that it might have reached.

White to move

After 58...Kxh4

White is winning.

White to move

Possible position after 57...Kxh4

Black can hold the draw.

Let's examine the ending and the errors.

White to move

After 47...Ke6

48.Ke4??

Correct was 48.Kc4, when after 48...Kxf6 49.Kb5 Ke7 50.Kxa5 Kd7 51.Kb5 Kc7 52.Kc5 Kb7 53.Kd5 Kb6 54.Ke5 Ka5 55.Kf5 Kxa4

White to move

Analysis diagram

Black's king is too far from the h-file to prevent White's pawn from promoting. Had I played the correct 48.Kc4, this would have been the result. After my move, the game was equal until Black missed a critical move.

48...Kxf6 49.Kf4 Kg6 50.Ke5 Kg7 51.Kf5 Kh6 52.Kf6 Kh7 53.Kg5 Kg7 54.Kxh5

Black to move

It is clear that White will abandon the h-pawn and attempt to promote the a-pawn. What matters most is whether Black's king will be close enough to either trap White's king in front of its pawn or occupy a8.

54...Kh7??

54...Kf6 was the drawing move. After 55.Kg4 Kg6 56.Kf4 Kh5 57.Ke5 Kxh4, the second position at the top of the post is reached. Black's king will be able to occupy a8 or trap the White king on the a-file if it prevents this.

Instead, in the game continuation, White's king was one square further towards the queenside when Black played Kxh4. This square, a one tempo difference, was the difference in the game.

55.Kg5 Kg7 56.Kf5 Kh6 57.Ke5 Kh5 58.Kd5 Kxh4

We reach the position at the top of the post.

Black resigned after the subsequent moves: 59.Kc5 Kg5 60.Kb5 Kf5 61.Kxa5 Ke6 62.Kb6 Kd6 63.Kb7 Kc5 64.a5 Kb5 65.a6

White's king assures the pawn's safety.

Cutting Off

Young chess players are quick to attack pieces directly. Learning to anticipate the opponent's plans and prevent them does not come naturally. In my experience, young beginning players must be shown this simple mate in two many times before the idea of cutting off sinks in.

White to move

It is an ancient exercise that I first recall seeing and beginning to use with students while perusing Bruce Pandolfini, Pandolfini's Endgame Course. With a group of students who are finishing the Pawn Award and beginning to work towards the Knight Award, I prefaced this position with two others from this week's online play.

These positions are more difficult for beginners, so we spent some time on them.

Black to move

Facing a threat to my a-pawn that would upset the material equilibrium, I confined White's king to the first rank with a checkmate threat.

43...Bg3

White failed to find the most stubborn defense, played 44.Rd6? and resigned while I was contemplating how to remove the rook. After 44.Re8+ Kh7 45.Rf8, there is no checkmate threat. Nonetheless, Black is winning a pawn after 45...Rd3 46.Kf1 (46.Rf3 Rxf3 47.gxf3 Be5 is worse, and White's a-pawn still falls) 46...Rxa3.

The second illustration shows the same cutting off idea with a piece on g3, although Black had many ways of winning.

Black to move

24...Qg3 (24...f4 is best) 25.Rf1 Re1 26.Qc4 Rxf1 27.Qxf1 Re1 and White resigned.

My intent was to show these two positions from recent online play, then have the students solve the mate in two from Pandolfini. Hopefully, the idea of restricting the opponent's choices, rather than direct and often futile checks, will sink in.

Continuing the theme of cutting off, I found several instructive exercises in László Polgár, Chess Endgames. This study by Nikolai Antonovich Kopaev was the first.

White to move

White must find a sequence of "only" moves. Alternatives draw. This exercise and those that follow in Polgár's massive book build endgame technique.

64 Endgame Books

It has been a goal of mine to acquire 64 endgame books before I reach the age of 64. That birthday comes soon and I need one more. What shall I add to my existing collection? Will it gather dust on the shelf, or will it be one that I read?

The main shelf

The category of "endgame books" is not perfectly clear. Do works on checkmate patterns fall into this group? I keep those books separate, although checkmate exercises were called "end-games" in nineteenth century chess periodicals and books. I do include studies, although some would put these in a separate category.

There are some classics on my shelves and some books published in the past two months. Most are paperbacks, but there are a few hardcover. Missing from my shelves are four of the five volumes of Encyclopedia of Chess Endings published by Chess Informant. Last summer, seven of the eight volume series edited by Yuri Averbakh were added. I have had the volume on rook endings for several years. In the months since, I've spent some time working through the early chapters on bishop endings.

Part of a second shelf is needed

For decades, the only endgame book in my possession was Irving Chernev, Practical Chess Endings, which I purchased at B. Dalton in downtown Spokane in the 1970s as a high school student. In the mid-1990s, as I was getting back into chess with some seriousness of purpose, I bought a copy of Jenö Bán, The Tactics of Endgames. Even then, my study focus remained largely openings and tactics.

In the twenty-first century, two books provoked serious study of endgames on my part. First, Karsten Mūller and Frank Lamprecht, Fundamental Chess Endings, published in 2001 and acquired that year. Then with purchase of Dvoretsky's Endgame Manual shortly after it was published in 2003, I began to both work on and enjoy endgame study. When I started studying Dvoretsky, I was USCF C Class. Today, it is often suggested that Dvoretsky is too hard for a class player, who should begin with Silman's Complete Endgame Course. Waiting four years for Silman would have deprived me of many hours of productive study. In any case, I rarely read a chess book cover-to-cover. Dvoretsky improved my game (see "Ten Books to Achieve 1800+").

Sometime before then, I had acquired Reuben Fine, Basic Chess Endings, but I always found this book difficult to use with too few diagrams and small print lacking sufficient paragraph breaks. Even so, it was a reference I turned to often when a specific question arose.

As the number of volumes slowly increased, I became a collector, still favoring those that I think I'll read.

The newest book in my collection was published this year and is a reprint, edited with a light hand, of one of the oldest endgame books in existence. Carsten Hansen brought Horwitz and Kling, Chess Studies and Endgames (1851) back into print as part of his Alexander Game Books Classics series.

Endgame Bibliography

Aagaard, Jacob. Excelling At Technical Chess: Learn to Identify and Exploit Small Advantages. London: Gloucester Publishers, 2004.

_______. A Matter of Endgame Technique. Grandmaster Knowledge. Glasgow: Quality Chess, 2022.

_______. Conceptual Rook Endgames. Grandmaster Knowledge. Glasgow: Quality Chess, 2023.

Averbakh, Yuri, and I. Maizelis. Pawn Endings, trans. Mary Lasher. Dallas: Chess Digest, 1974.

Averbakh, Yuri. Queen and Pawn Endings, trans. K. P. Neat. London: Batsford, 1975.

_______. Bishop v. Knight Endings, trans. K. P. Neat. London: Batsford, 1976.

_______. Bishop Endings, trans. Mary Lasher. London: Batsford, 1977.

_______, and Vitaly Chekhover. Knight Endings, trans. Mary Lasher. London: Batsford, 1977.

Averbakh, Yuri. Rook v. Minor Piece Endings, trans. K. P. Neat. London: Batsford, 1978.

_______, V. Chekhover, and V. Henkin. Queen v. Rook/Minor Piece Endings, trans. K. P. Neat. London: Batsford, 1978.

Averbakh, Yuri. Chess Endings: Essential Knowledge, new algebraic edition. London: Everyman Chess, [1971] 1993.

Bán, Jenö. The Tactics of Endgames. Mineola: Dover, [1963] 1997.

Barden, Leonard. How to Play the Endgame in Chess. Indianapolis: Bobbs-Merrill, 1975.

Bezgodov, Alexey. Opposite-Colored Bishop Endings: 174 Master Classes. Elk and Ruby, 2024.

Missing from the shelves because I’m reading it

Chernev, Irving. Practical Chess Endings. New York: Dover, 1961.

_______. Capablanca’s Best Chess Endings: 60 Complete Games.  New York: Dover, 1978.

_______. 200 Brilliant Endgames.  New York: Fireside, 1989.

Donaldson, John. Essential Chess Endings for Advanced Players. Dallas: Chess Digest, 1995.

De la Villa, Jesus. 100 Endgames You Must Know: Vital Lessons for Every Chess Player. 4^th ed. Alkmaar: New in Chess, 2015.

_______. The 100 Endgames You Must Know Workbook: Practical Endgame Lessons for Every Chess Player. Alkmaar: New in Chess, 2019.

_______. 100 Endgame Patterns You Must Know: Recognize Key Moves & Motifs and Avoid Typical Errors. Alkmaar: New in Chess, 2021.

Dvoretsky, Mark. Dvoretsky’s Endgame Manual. Milford: Russell Enterprises, 2003.

_______. Dvoretsky’s Endgame Manual, 5^th ed. Rev. by Karsten Mūller. Milford: Russell Enterprises, 2020.

Emms, John. Starting Out: Minor Piece Endgames. London: Gloucester Publishers, 2004.

Fine, Reuben. Basic Chess Endings. New York: David McKay, [1941] 1969.

Fishbein, Alex. King and Pawn Endings. Macon, GA: American Chess Promotions, 1993.

Three on pawns

Flear, Glenn. Improve Your Endgame Play. London: Everyman Chess, 2000.

_______. Mastering the Endgame. London: Everyman Chess, 2001.

_______. Test Your Endgame Thinking. London: Everyman Chess, 2002.

Guliev, Sarhan. The Manual of Chess Endings, vol. 4 of Chess School. Moscow: Russian Chess House, 2021.

Horwitz, Bernhard, and Josef Kling. Chess Studies and Endgames, updated and ed. Carsten Hansen. Bayonne, NJ: Alexander Game Books, 2024.

Karolyi, Tibor, and Nick Aplin. Endgame Virtuoso Anatoly Karpov. Alkmaar: New in Chess, 2007.

Kasparyan, Ghenrikh M. Domination in 2,545 Endgame Studies, trans. A. Krivoviaz. Moscow: Progress Pubishers, 1980.

_______. 888 Miniature Studies. Belgrade: BeoSing, 2010.

Keres, Paul. Practical Chess Endings, with modern chess notation. London: Batsford [1974] 2018.

Lakdawala, Cyrus. Tactical Training in the Endgame. London: Gloucester Publishers, 2021.

_______, and Carsten Hansen. The Chess Wizardry of Wotawa. Bayonne, NJ: CarstenChess, 2022.

_______. Beyond Chess Basics: Endgame Planning. Bayonne, NJ: CarstenChess, 2023.

Levenfish, Grigory, and Vasily Smyslov. Rook Endings, trans. Philip J. Booth. Dallas: Chess Digest, 1971.

Matanović, Aleksandar, et al. Encyclopedia of Chess Endings, vol. 4. Belgrade: Chess Informant, 1989.

Mednis, Edmar. Practical Rook Endings. Coraopolis, PA: Chess Enterprises, 1982.

_______. Practical Knight Endings. Moon Township, PA: Chess Enterprises, 1993.

Mieses, Jacques. Modern Endgame Studies: Selected for the Purpose of Practical Play, trans., updated, and ed. by Carsten Hansen. Bayonne, NJ: Alexander Game Books, 2023.

Minev, Nikolay. A Practical Guide to Rook Endgames. Milford: Russell Enterprises, 2004.

Mūller, Karsten, and Frank Lamprecht. Fundamental Chess Endings: A New Endgame Encyclopedia for the 21^st Century. London: Gambit Publications, 2001.

Nunn, John. Nunn’s Chess Endings, 2 vols. London: Gambit Publications, 2010.

Pandolfini, Bruce. Pandolfini’s Endgame Course. New York: Fireside, 1988.

Polgár, László. Chess Endgames. Köln: Könemann, 1999.

Rabinovich, Ilya. The Russian Endgame Handbook, trans. James Marfia. Newton Highlands, MA: Mongoose Press, 2012.

Roycraft, A. J. The Chess Endgame Study: A Comprehensive Introduction, 2^nd ed. Garden City: Dover, 1981.

Shankland, Sam. Small Steps to Giant Improvement: Master Pawn Play in Chess. Glasgow: Quality Chess, 2018.

_______. Theoretical Rook Endgames. Glasgow: Quality Chess, 2023.

Shereshevsky, Mikhail. Endgame Strategy, trans. K.P. Neat. London: Cadogan, [1985] 1994.

Silman, Jeremy. Silman’s Complete Endgame Course: From Beginner to Master. Los Angeles: Siles Press, 2007.

Speelman, Jonathan. Analysing the Endgame. London: Batsford, 1981.

_______. Endgame Preparation. London: Batsford, 1981.

Smyslov, Vasily. Vasily Smyslov: Endgame Virtuoso, trans. Ken Neat. London: Gloucester Publishers, [1977] 2003.

Van Perlo, G. C. Van Perlo’s Endgame Tactics: A Comprehensive Guide to the Sunny Side of Chess Endgames, new, improved and expanded edition. Alkmaar: New in Chess, 2014.

Znosko-Borovsky, Eugene. How to Play Chess Endings, trans. J. Du Mont. New York: Dover, [1940] 1974.

Edit: 13 April

Two days ago, the 64th book arrived. C.J.S. Purdy, On the Endgame. Davenport, IA: Thinkers Press, 2003.

 

 

 

 

Draw?

White played 42.Kb2 and offered a draw. White's remaining time is 2:11; Black has 5:57. This is a ten minute Arena game and White is higher rated by nearly 200.

Black to move

Black is on bottom

Would you accept the draw offer? If not, what would you play?

From a Youth Tournament

As tournament director for my city’s youth events, I see a lot of examples of basic skills not yet learned.

In one game today, I spent quite a bit of time watching a player with several pieces endlessly checking a lone king. The stronger side had a queen, bishop, and knight. Shortly after I began watching, he missed a mate in one. Thirty or forty checks later, his opponent captured the knight. Checks continued. Occasionally, I noticed that he seemed to be reaching for his king, but then grabbed the queen and checked again. After the bishop was captured, I began counting moves, thinking I might intervene at 50. As my counting got into the late 20s, there was a move of the king. The defending player did not try to stay in the middle of the board. When he was confined to the back rank, I could see a light come on in the mind of the player with the queen. He had some faint memory of lessons on how to checkmate with king and queen against lone king. With his opponent’s king confined to three squares on the eighth rank, he moved his king in closer. Although the king did not take the shortest route, he went in the correct direction. At the 35th move after the bishop was captured, checkmate was delivered.

Another game reached a somewhat more sophisticated ending after Black had thrown away a clear advantage.

White to move

With my phone, I took a photo of the position so that I could remember it. The young girl playing White thought for a few minutes and then played Bxf3. A few moves later, the game was drawn by insufficient material as White had only a bishop and Black only a knight.

From the diagram, I would have played Bc5. For young children, the direct attack (check, check, check,…) is easier to fathom than preventing the opponent’s plan by controlling the squares they want to use.

Another lopsided game reached this position.

White to move

White missed Qf1#, instead playing Kh3. After Kf2 and Qd1, the player of Black said that she could not find a move. After a few moments, they realized that Black was in stalemate.

The longest game was on the top board in round three. Two moves after offering a draw that was refused, Black captured White’s queen. 

White to move

Capturing with the pawn allows Ke4 and a trebuchet. White played Kxd4 and offered a draw, which was accepted.

Poor Decisions

Drawing a lower rated player can be frustrating. This morning, I was forced to make my peace with such a fate. My opponent's rating was 400 below mine.

Black to move

54....Qg3+ 55.Kg1 Qe1+ 56.Kh2

I considered playing Qf1, but Black has a winning pawn ending. A draw is less damaging than a loss.

56...Qe3

Now, it is my turn to show that I can force a draw.

57.Qe8+ Kf5 58.Qd7+ Kf4??

Black made a poor decision in an effort to escape the draw.

59.Qg4#

In the very next game, my opponent was rated 200 higher than me and allowed us to reach a drawn opposite colored bishop ending. We had been shuffling our bishops about for several moves.

White to move

52.Kf2??

Inexplicable that a 2000+ rapid player would make such an error, but perhaps there was some frustration with the inevitable draw against me.

52...d3+ 53.Ke1 Ba5+ 54.Kd1 Ke3??

In my excitement, I misplayed the win. 54...Kf3 55.cxd3 e3 was the winning line.

White to move

55.c4??

55.cxd3 exd3 and neither player can make progress.

55...Kd4 56.c5 e3

A moment's calculation assured me that I would be promoting a pawn with check before White's c-pawn went very far.

57.b6 e2+ 58.Kc1 e1Q+

My opponent played until checkmate.

Today, I was the beneficiary of some poor decisions by my opponents. Another day, I will be giving such gifts to my opponents.