Endgame trainer
Play essential endgames against a perfect opponent. Every move is checked with the seven-piece Syzygy tablebases: you see at once whether it kept the win (or the draw) and whether there was a faster way.
0 of 15 endgames mastered
Basic checkmates
- Queen and kingWin
Shrink the box with the queen a knight’s move away, bring your king up, then mate. Beware stalemate.
Basic · play White
- Rook and kingWin
Cut the king off with the rook and use your king to take the opposition.
Basic · play White
- Two bishopsWin
Side-by-side bishops build a wall. Drive the king to a corner.
Intermediate · play White
- Bishop and knightWin
The hardest basic mate: force the king into a corner of the bishop’s colour within fifty moves.
Hard · play White
King and pawn
- Key squaresWin
Your king is in front of its pawn on the sixth rank. Win whoever has the opposition.
Basic · play White
- King in frontWin
Get your king in front of the pawn before pushing it.
Intermediate · play White
- Rule of the squareWin
The black king is outside the square of the pawn. Count, then run.
Basic · play White
- Take the oppositionDraw
Defend as Black: keep the opposition and the pawn cannot promote.
Intermediate · play Black
Rook endgames
- Lucena positionWin
Drive the defending king away, then build a bridge with your rook.
Intermediate · play White
- Philidor defenceDraw
Defend as Black. Keep your rook active and your king in front of the pawn.
Intermediate · play Black
- Vančura defenceDraw
Defend as Black against the a-pawn: attack it from the side and check from far away.
Hard · play Black
- Rook against pawnWin
Stop the pawn with king and rook together.
Intermediate · play White