| The End Game |
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| Well... ....basically the end game is exactly that the end of the game of chess. When you are a beginner make sure you know your basic checkmates and also running a pawn in for a Queen. Chess masters love to study the endgame and alot of times you will see huge reports on endgame studies. They are what if situations; that will have a number of variables with tons of side variations inside other side variations. It can really look like quite a mess of confusing stuff. Well .....when you are not an expert but a beginner, my advise would be: Study one end game situation a week it can be rather boring but also very helpful !! My book recommendations for learning the endgame would be: 1. "Capalanca's Best chess endings" by Irving Chernov 2. "Rubenstein's chess masterpieces" by Hans Kmoch |
| A Sample Endgame |
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| from Diagram 1: 1. Ke3 h5 2. Nh2 Kd6 3. Ke2 d4 4. cxd4 cxd4 5. Kd2 hxg4 6. hxg4 Bc6 7. Ke2 (White is stuck!!) Bd5 8. a3 b5 9. Nf1 a5 10. Nd2 a4 11. Ne4+ Bxe4 12. dxe4 b4 13. Kd2 bxa3 14. Kc1... Lets look! (see diagram 2) |
| from this next diagram: 14....g5!! (Reti quit the game at this move) 15.fxg5 fxg5 16. Kb1 Ke5 17. Ka2 Kxe4 18. Kxa3 d3 19. cxd3+ Kxd3 20. Kxa4 Ke4 21. Kb3 Kf4 22. Kc3 Kxg4 23. Kd3... |
| 23....Kf3 24. Kd2 Kf2 25. Kd3 g4 26. Ke4 g3 27. Kf4 g2 28. Ke4 g1=Q |
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| example from: Reti vs.Rubenstein "Rubenstein's Chess Masterpieces" # 48 |
| To look at this position and think this is anyones game, is very far from true. To the chessmaster he sees only that the game is already won by BLACK? How can this be....EXPERIENCE!! you must study endgames like this to be able to truly understand why Black has already won, white plays on hoping against hope that Rubenstein may error? .....to this we say PLEASE ! ...(no way) |
| How in the world has this situation arose?? How can you reproduce this type of play?? I am telling you it is experience as well as endgame studying. It really is not so hard to figure out what Black is trying to achieve. A QUEEN! The more you play and the more you grow use to these predicaments the better you will be able to handle the situations that can occur. And Rubenstein is the BEST! so is Capablanca (who is better? who knows??) |
| ....and here we have reached a very simple endgame situation !! |
| ....Hopefully from here you know your basic checkmates and know how to win. If not then you got some research to do!! Good Luck ! |