Endgame
An endgame is a phase with reduced material in which king activity, pawn promotion, and precise technical play…
Learn the term100 ESSENTIAL CHESS TERMS / A–Z
Endgames Chess Terms
Explore endgames chess vocabulary with clear definitions, examples, related concepts, and study guidance from the ChessRankings.com glossary.
11 chess terms
E
F
Fortress
A fortress is a defensive arrangement that the stronger side cannot penetrate despite a material advantage,…
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King activity
King activity describes how effectively the king participates in controlling squares, attacking pawns, and…
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Lucena position
The Lucena position is a fundamental winning rook-and-pawn endgame pattern in which the stronger side can often…
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Opposition
Opposition is a king-endgame relationship in which the kings face each other across an odd number of squares and…
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Passed pawn
A passed pawn has no opposing pawn ahead of it on its own file or either adjacent file that could prevent its…
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Philidor position
The Philidor position is a standard drawing method in rook-and-pawn endgames, commonly using a rook to restrict…
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Rule of the square
The rule of the square is a visual shortcut for deciding whether a lone king can catch an unsupported passed pawn…
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Triangulation
Triangulation is a maneuver, often by a king, that returns to a comparable square configuration while changing…
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Underpromotion
Underpromotion means promoting a pawn to a rook, bishop, or knight instead of a…
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Zugzwang
Zugzwang is a position in which having to make a move worsens a player's situation because every legal choice…
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