Part of the Endgames JourneyPopularJourneyKing and Pawn Endgames
The endings every other ending reduces to. Six chapters teach the king as a fighting piece, the opposition and the spare tempo, the rule of the square, the key squares that decide whether a pawn promotes, and the rook-pawn draw - each played out against a defending king on the board.
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26 lessons26 challenges
- Beginner friendly
Hands-on interactive lessons
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Syllabus
This section is part of the Endgames Journey. The full syllabus has more sections - click any preview below to view it on the Journey page.
- Section 1Basic Mates26 lessons
Section 2
The King and the Pawn
Start sectionStartExpandCollapseWhat can mate and what cannot, the king as a fighting piece, the opposition, the rule of the square, key squares - and why a rook pawn so often draws.What Can Mate
4 lessons4The King Steps Up
4 lessons4Opposition
6 lessons6The Rule of the Square
4 lessons4Key Squares
4 lessons4Rook Pawns Draw
4 lessons4
Learn by Playing
See every idea on a real board. Each lesson shows you the position, explains what is happening on it, then asks you a question about it.
Every game starts here. The two arrows are the classical first moves.
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Double or Nothing
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Promotion zoneEvery way to learn
Read, listen, test yourself, or look up anything you've already covered. Every lesson meets you where you are.
The chessboard is a grid of 64 squares, 32 light and 32 dark, in a pattern where the colors always alternate.
Set it up so that each player has a light square in their bottom-right corner.
Files run up the board and ranks run across it - together they give every square its own name.
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Chess Fundamentals
Add to LinkedInWhy learn king and pawn endgames with Coddy
- You start by learning what can win at all. King and knight cannot mate, king and bishop cannot, a queen beats a lone piece: the What Can Mate chapter settles which endings are worth playing on and which to trade into.
- The opposition, drilled from every angle. Face to face, around the side, the spare tempo, holding the line: four lessons and a puzzle set on the one idea that decides most pawn endings.
- Geometry you can see. The rule of the square - can the king catch the pawn? - is drawn on the board, and the key squares in front of a pawn are marked so you learn where the king has to stand, not just that it must get in front.
- Wins and draws both. The Rook Pawns Draw chapter teaches the corner and the locked-in king, so you know when to hold a bad ending as well as when to press a good one.
Frequently asked questions about king and pawn endgames
What is the opposition?
What is the rule of the square?
What are key squares?
Why does a rook pawn often draw?
Can a king and knight (or bishop) checkmate?
How should I use my king in the endgame?
