To round off our brief look at different sections of the game, here are some great tips to improve your chess endgame.
The King is a Weapon
You’ve spent most of the game treating the King like he’s made of glass and hiding him from your opponents pieces. In the endgame the King can become a powerful attacking piece in his own right – don’t treat him like a liability, but use him to put pressure on your opponent’s position. This is an essential part of getting the most out of the endgame.
Think a Bit Harder
With a bit of luck you’ve exchanged a few pieces, and the board is emptier than it was during the mid-game, that means you can think a bit deeper about what you’re going to do. You’ve got less moves to choose from – so you can evaluate their value just that little bit more.
Brush up Before the Game
You might actually want to dust off some of those wonderful chess books and study a few (or a lot of) endgames. There tends to be a lot of similarity in the way that chess repeats itself and learning from the masters will give you some real additional fire power in the last instance.
Reduce Time Pressure
You’re supposed to have less time available on the clock in the endgame, but try and manage your time so you don’t find yourself in a crisis. Pace your moves here as with all other sections of the game and don’t sweat it.
Review Your Games
You should always spend a little time analysing your own games once you’re finished playing – identifying and learning from your mistakes is the key part of success in almost every human activity. For players that use computer chess sets or play online games its always a good idea to replay an review your games to learn from your game play.
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