Endgames decide a surprising number of games at every level: one pawn, one tempo, one king move. chessGM has ten endgame courses with 61 lessons, from the first mates to the hardest pawn endings, plus a quick-practice course on king and pawn.
Who this is for
Every player. Endgame 1 is aimed at beginners (level 600) and the series goes up to Endgame 10 (level 2400). You do not have to take them in one go: take the one that matches your level and come back as you improve.
The ten courses
| Course | Lessons | What it teaches |
|---|---|---|
| Endgame 1: Basic mates and running pawns | 7 | Mate with queen, rook and two rooks without stalemate, and the rule of the square for pawn races. |
| Endgame 2: King and pawn | 6 | The opposition, key squares and how the defender holds: the foundation of every endgame. |
| Endgame 3: Pawn races and breakthroughs | 6 | Count the race, break through with a pawn sacrifice, and win king-and-pawn duels with one exact move. |
| Endgame 4: Rook against pawn and the Lucena | 6 | When the rook beats the pawn and when it does not, and how to win rook and pawn against rook. |
| Endgame 5: Queen endings | 6 | Queen against a pawn on the 7th, the stalemate defence, fast queen mates and queen-against-queen tricks. |
| Endgame 6: Bishops and knights | 6 | The wrong bishop, bishop and pawn wins, knight against pawn and the two-bishop mate. |
| Endgame 7: The Philidor defence and rook endings | 6 | Save rook endings with checks from behind, win the close races between rook and pawn, and play rook endings from real games. |
| Endgame 8: Pawn endings for experts | 6 | Only moves in king-and-pawn duels, the defender’s saving resources and the hardest king-and-pawn wins. |
| Endgame 9: Queen against rook, rook against minor piece | 6 | Queen beats rook with exact moves; rook against knight or bishop: when it wins and how to hold. |
| Endgame 10: Bishop and knight mate | 6 | The hardest basic mate, long two-bishop mates and the toughest endgame defences. |
How the endgame lessons work
The same way as the others: a short explanation, then positions that you solve on the board. Because endgames have few pieces, the tasks are concrete: “White to move: mate in 2”, win the pawn race, find the only move that holds the draw. Many lessons include a practical lesson with positions from games, such as pawn endings and rook endings in practice.
Two ideas to learn first
- Mate, do not stalemate. With a queen against a lone king the danger is stalemate, so always leave the king a move until you can mate. The Endgame 1 course has a lesson for exactly this.
- The rule of the square. Draw a square from the pawn to the last rank. If the defending king cannot step into it, the pawn simply runs. This settles pawn races without counting every move.
A good order
- From 600: Endgame 1 and the quick practice on king and pawn.
- From 800: Endgame 2 (king and pawn) and Endgame 3 (pawn races and breakthroughs).
- From 1200: Endgame 4 (rook against pawn, the Lucena position) and Endgame 5 (queen endings).
- From 1600: Endgame 6 and 7, then the harder rook endings and the Philidor defence.
- From 2000: Endgame 8, 9 and 10 for the deepest pawn endings, unequal material and the bishop and knight mate.
A realistic study plan
- Ten to fifteen minutes a day, one lesson, then a break. The ideas are small and precise; they stick when you go slowly.
- After each lesson, set up the position on a real board or against a friend and play it out. The lesson tells you the idea; playing it makes it yours.
- Revisit the king and pawn lessons every few weeks. They are the foundation of almost every other ending.
- When you lose or draw a game in an ending, find the position where it turned and see which course covers it.
Common mistakes
- Rushing the king. In endgames the king is a strong piece. Bring it to the centre.
- Pushing pawns without counting. Use the rule of the square before you run.
- Allowing stalemate in a won position.
- Leaving rooks passive behind your own pawns when you could cut off the enemy king.
- Giving up on a worse ending. The endgame defence lessons train finding the only moves that hold the draw.
Endgame 1: Basic mates and running pawns
Endgame 4: Rook against pawn and the Lucena
Endgame 8: Pawn endings for experts
Screenshots and credits
Screenshots were taken as a guest on the live chessGM website on 22 October 2026 and show the real pages, not edited. The chess pieces in the lesson boards are by Colin M.L. Burnett (CC BY-SA 3.0), as credited on chessGM.
Written from the live chessGM site and its course catalogue on 22 October 2026. The course counts, names and lesson numbers are read from the catalogue; the study plans are general guidance, not coaching.