The King and Pawn vs. King endgame is one of the most fundamental and important endgames in chess. Every chess player must master this type of endgame because many other endgames eventually simplify into this situation after pieces and pawns are exchanged.
The most crucial aspect of a King and Pawn endgame is whether the side with the pawn can successfully promote it to a queen, or if the side with only the king can stop the promotion.
Many chess players, especially beginners and intermediate-level players, struggle with these positions. They either fail to promote their pawn or, when defending with only a king, don’t know the correct method to stop the pawn’s promotion.
In today’s video lesson, I’ll teach you 2 simple rules that will help you easily win King and Pawn endgames. These core, fundamental ideas will enable you to quickly find the best (or winning) move in these types of endgames.
You will learn the following:
- The key squares to focus on for pawn promotion
- Whether to place your king in front of or behind the pawn
- When to push your pawn
- How to avoid stalemating your opponent
- The concept of opposition
- Exceptional cases involving h- and a-pawns
- How to defend and draw if you have only the king
By mastering these principles, you’ll be much more confident and accurate in King and Pawn endgames!
Below, you can find the examples shown in the video:
