Endgames
Basic endgame theory with sparring positions: study the technique on the page, then play the position out against Stockfish from your browser — you always take the winning side, the game is unrated.
Queen endgames
Queen versus King
How to deliver checkmate with a queen against a lone king: the box method and the standard mating patterns.
2 practice positions vs the engine
Study & train →Rook endgames
Rook versus King
Winning with a rook against a lone king: cutting ranks and files, marching the king forward, and avoiding stalemate.
2 practice positions vs the engine
Study & train →The Lucena Position
Rook and pawn versus rook: the Lucena position — building the bridge, the single most important winning technique in rook endings.
2 practice positions vs the engine
Study & train →The Philidor Position
The Philidor defense: how a lone rook holds the draw against rook and pawn — the third-rank defense and checks from behind.
2 practice positions vs the engine
Study & train →Bishop endgames
Two Bishops versus King
Mating with the bishop pair: the diagonal wall, driving the king to the edge, and the corner mate.
2 practice positions vs the engine
Study & train →Bishop and Knight versus King
The hardest basic mate: driving the king into the right corner with bishop and knight.
1 practice position vs the engine
Study & train →Pawn endgames
Pawn versus King
King and pawn versus king: key squares, the opposition, and when the pawn queens by force.
2 practice positions vs the engine
Study & train →The Rule of the Square
The rule of the square: a one-second test that tells you whether a king can catch a runaway passed pawn.
2 practice positions vs the engine
Study & train →Opposition and Key Squares
Direct opposition, outflanking and the key squares: how the basic king-and-pawn endings are won — and how they are held.
2 practice positions vs the engine
Study & train →Rook Pawn Draws
Why the a- and h-pawn so often draw: the corner is the defender's fortress — and the wrong corner for the bishop.
1 practice position vs the engine
Study & train →The Outside Passed Pawn
The decoy pawn far from the action: how an outside passed pawn drags the defending king away and converts a small edge.
2 practice positions vs the engine
Study & train →The Réti Idea
Réti's famous 1921 study: the king that chases two hares at once — catching a passed pawn and supporting its own.
1 practice position vs the engine
Study & train →