A solid knowledge of pawn endings is essential for those wishing to understand endgames in general (Rook Endgames, Minor Piece endgames, etc.). In fact, if a player wants to seriously study the endgame, pawn endings are the place to start because many endgame positions are evaluated on the basis of the underlying pawn ending that might be reached.

First, a player needs to learn basics, such as opposition and the rule of a square. The best way to do it is to study positions with King + pawn versus King. After necessary time is spent on such positions, one can go further and delve into more complex endings with multiple pawns.

There several useful King & pawn endgame rules and tips to remember:

* Rule of a square. This simple rule is present in basic and complex pawn endings. It helps tremendously to evaluate some positions that otherwise would be difficult to visualize.

* Opposition. Again, this rule is very useful, since in many situations a King has to stop the adversary from penetrating its position and attacking its pawns.

* Zugzwang. This is a situation where any move leads to a position worse than the current one. It helps to count tempi and be careful with pawn moves in order  to avoid zugzwang.

* One fixes two. There are situations where a pawn move leads to a position where one pawn stops two, or at times even three enemy pawns. This technique is very useful.

* Generally, one should avoid endings with less material unless he (she) has a dangerous passed pawn, or is able to quickly even the material situation. Most pawn endings with less material are lost.

* It is useful to have, or try to create, a wing passed pawn since the wing pawns are the most difficult to stop. Often they are used as a decoy as well.

* Triangulation. At times it pays to reach a square with a King later, rather than sooner. For example, instead of playing Ke6-f6, it may be better to play Ke6-e5-f6. Such an odd maneuver is called triangulation. It’s important to remember that going strait through, for instance Ke6-f6-g6, is as fast as going in a ladder kind of way, like  Ke6-f5-g6.

* A King must be active and go towards the center, if possible, or to the area where the opponent’s pawns are. A King should either support his pawns to advance, or be active in stopping the opponent’s pawns.

* In a pawn ending calculation is important and crucial for successful play.

 Let’s take a look at the following endings.

T. Gorgiev, 1967

In this composed study we can see how White saves the game by balancing the threat of promoting his pawn with attempts to prevent the advance of his opponent’s pawns.

At first, things look fairly hopeless. Really, the h-pawn is obviously lost and Black’s King can stop the c-pawn easily enough. What should White do? Step one, a player has to realize where his chances are.

Here White’s best chance is exploit his f-pawn. While doing that, he should keep an eye on the possibility of catching the d-pawn, since the h-pawn is protected by its King and going after it makes more sense. Basically, all White has to do it to exchange both of his pawns for the d-pawn and he achieves a draw. Therefore,

1.f6+!

The pawn must be advanced as far as possible.

1...Kxh7 2.Kf5! Kg8

Now 2...h5 3.Kg5 d5 4.Kxh5 d4 5.Kg4 d3 6.Kf3 is drawn, while 2...d5? 3.Ke6! Kg8 4.Ke7 even loses. So Black makes a waiting move and also makes sure that the f-pawn is firmly under control.

3.Kg6

Here 3.Ke5 h5 4.Kd6 meets 4...Kf7! and Black wins, or 4.Kf5 Kf7 5.Kg5 d5 6.Kxh5 Kxf6 7.Kg4 Ke5 8.Kf3 Kd4 9.Ke2 Kc3 and Black wins again.

3...d5!

Now 4.Kxh6 d4 5.Kg5 d3 6.Kf4 d2 is hopeless, but the e6-square is suddenly available and White returns just in time to make use of this fact.

4.Kf5! h5

In case of 4...Kf7 5.Ke5 h5 6.Kxd5 Kxf6 (or 6...h4 7.Ke4 h3 8.Kf3) 7.Ke4 White saves the game.

5.Ke6!

White must attack d5 in order to save the game, and now he does that while threatening Ke6-e7 and f6-f7+ at the same time.

5...Kf8

The only move since 5...d4? 6.Ke7 d3 7.f7+ Kh7 8.f8=Q wins for White.

6.Kxd5 h4 7.Ke4 h3 8.Kf3, 1/2-1/2.

In the following position, White applies a technique known since the famous study by Richard Reti was published.

Pogossiants, 1984

A very interesting position, and almost impossible to solve if you don’t know Reti trick mentioned above. White is down a pawn, and it seems that his c-pawn will also fall in a couple of move. What should White do? Clearly, going back to the c-pawn is too slow. The only possible way is to destroy the kingside pawns while Black’s King is far away. So, the first move is obvious enough.

1.f6! gxf6

In case of 1...g6? 2.Kxh6 Kb6 3.Kg7! g5 5.Kxf7 g4 6.Ke7 g3 7.f7 g2 8.f8=Q g1=Q the game is drawn. Instead of the text, Black has another interesting possibility, 1...g5!?

Now it seems that White can’t take h6 since the g-pawn will run away. Nevertheless, White has to make the capture since nothing else is available. 2.Kxh6 g4 3.Kg7 g3 4.Kxf7 g2. Should White resign now? No! The Bishop’s pawn always gives some chances, but first White must get rid of his c-pawn. 5.c7 Kb7 6.Ke7 g1=Q 7.f7.

We’ve reached a theoretically drawn position. Now Black slowly approaches his opponent’s King, but White manages to force a draw thanks to a stalemate trick: 7...Qe3+ 8.Kf6 Qf4+ 9. Kg7 Qg5+ 10.Kh7 Qf6 11.Kg8 Qg6+ 12.Kh8 Qxf7 and now 13.c8=Q+ Kxc8, stalemate!

2.Kxh6 Kb6

Another way for Black was 2...Kb8!? when 3.Kg7? loses after 3...f5 4.Kf6 f4 5.Ke5 f3 6.Kd6 and now 6...Kc8! wins for Black. Still, by finding 3.Kh5!! Kc7 4.Kg4 Kxc6 5.Kf5 Kd7 6.Kxf6 Ke8 7.Kf5 White saves the game.

After 2…Kb6, what can White do? Going back with 3.Kh5 Kxc6 4.Kg4 Kd6 5.Kf5 loses after 5...Ke7 6.Kf4 Ke6 7.Ke4 f5+ 8.Kf4 Kf6 8.Kf3 Ke5 9.Ke3 f4+ 10.Kf3 Kf5 11.Kf2 Ke4 12.Ke2 f3+ 13.Kf2 Kf4 14.Kf1 Ke3 15.Ke1 f2+ 16.Kf1 and now 16...f6 17.Kg2 Ke2 and Black promotes his pawn and wins.

3.Kg7!

If a player can see that a line loses, he must explore other possibilities even if he does not see how they work!

3...f5

Now what? The f5-pawn is clearly ahead and the c-pawn seems hopelessly lost. White must now try to catch the f5-pawn while attempting to save his c6-pawn at the same time.

4.Kf6!

Not 4.Kxf7? Kxc6.

4...f4

Or 4...Kxc6 5.Kxf5 Kd7 6.Kf6 Ke8 7.Kf5 and White holds a draw.

5.Ke5!

As was mentioned above, White can reach d6 from e7 as well as e5. Now the f4-pawn must move forward since 5...Kxc6 6.Kxf4 is a draw.

5...f3 6.Kd6 f2 7.c7 f1=Q 8.c8=Q

Black still has an extra pawn, but White is close to it and Black’s King has no hiding place from checks.

8...Qf6+ 9.Kd5, 1/2-1/2.

The rule of a square says that if a King enters the square (a geometrical figure) of a pawn with his move, it should be able to catch the pawn. When using the rule of a square, one should remember two important exclusions.

Here the square of a pawn can be drawn from a7 to g7-g1-a1-a7, right? So, when White plays

1.Kg2

He should be able to draw? Wrong! The pawn can move two squares up from the beginning position, therefore, after

1...a5!

The square shrinks to a5-e5-e1-a1-a5, and White loses after,

2.Kf2 a4 3.Ke2 a3 4.Kd2 a2 5.Kc2 a1=Q, 0-1.

Another exclusion can take place when there are other pawns present on the board. Such pawns can create a barrier for the King, as in the following example.

Biancetti, 1925

It looks like White is trouble, since the direct 1.a4 Ke4 2.a5 Kd5 3.a6 Kc6 loses the a-pawn eventually. Does this mean that White is in trouble? No! Before advancing the a-pawn, White can clearly see that his opponent’s King is inside of the a4-pawn’s square after 1.a4 Ke4, so White uses his d4-pawn as a sacrificial lamb and creates a barrier for Black.

1.d5! exd5 2.a4

Now 2...Ke4 3.a5 d4 4.a6 d3 5.a7 wins for White.

2...Ke3 3.a5 d4 4.a6 d3 5.Ke1! and White wins.

A player must always be careful. After 5.a7?? d2 6.a8=Q d1=Q+ Black is out of trouble and up a pawn.