← Back to Chess Arena
Endgames · 9 min read

King and Pawn Endgames Made Simple

Opposition, key squares and passed pawns explained with memorable rules.

Activate the king

When queens and rooks leave the board, the king becomes a strong fighting piece. Bring it toward the centre and use it to support passed pawns or attack weak pawns.

Count before racing

Calculate pawn races square by square. Learn opposition and key squares, and remember that promotion can be to a queen, rook, bishop or knight when that choice is best.