Master Unbalanced Chess Endgames
Emanuel Lasker once said, “The hardest game to win is a won game.” Converting an endgame advantage is harder than it sounds. There is nothing worse than playing a masterful game of chess only to lose the game through extremely avoidable errors. On the other hand, finding a way to bounce back from a worse position is a great feeling.
Let’s look at the principles involved in winning unbalanced chess endgames and examine some of the most common ones you will encounter.
Principles to Follow in Unbalanced Chess Endgames
Why do players so often lose their advantage in the endgame?
Is it the sudden rush of overconfidence? Or the panic of knowing that the game is yours to be won? Or simply limited knowledge of endgame theory?
In all likelihood, all of these play a part. Let’s look at some ways to keep your cool and how to play when you have an advantage.
Stay Calm When Your Position is Better
Chess is a psychological game, especially over the board. In some ways, we are more prepared to deal with a disadvantage than a winning position. A player may employ all of their powers of calculation to try to defend a position. However, what tends to happen, even to grandmasters, is that they fail to convert an advantage into a win.
One way to avoid this chess nightmare is to practice staying calm and to be aware that whether your position is better or worse, the game is not over. Avoid unfavorable exchanges, be aware of forcing moves, and look out for unexpected forced draws or checkmates. Evaluating your position and calculating the next moves objectively is the best way to proceed.
An important part of chess strategy is remembering that a game can quickly turn on its head.
Evaluate Your Position and Create a Plan
How is the position imbalanced? Do you have a material advantage? Or a positional one? How significant is it?
By understanding why you are in a better or worse position than your opponent, you can often see how to proceed. To give a simple example: if you have more pawns and the pieces on the board are equal, your plan will likely be to trade out the pieces and convert a pawn.
Careful evaluation of your position will stop you from imagining your advantage is bigger than it is. It will help you create a strong plan about how to convert your position into a win.
How to Convert Unbalanced Chess Endgames
When you have an advantage, it is also helpful to go back to basics. A game of chess is won via checkmate or the resignation or forfeit of your opponent. If you have an overwhelming advantage, your opponent will often resign. In every other case, you should always be looking for checkmates.
In unbalanced games, we sometimes get tunnel vision and may be overly focused on trying to advance a pawn. Remember that even with the queens off the board, you can often still find checkmates without promoting. Similarly, if your opponent blunders, you can often find checkmates in a position that was much worse several moves ago.
Knowing how to convert an advantage to a win or claim a draw in a bad position is achieved by studying specific types of endgames and knowing how certain pieces should act in various situations. In the next section, we'll take a look at some of the most common types of unbalanced endgames.
Further Reading: How To Checkmate: Patterns Everyone Should Know
Common Unbalanced Chess Endgames
Unbalanced endgames are more common than balanced ones and there are many possible variations. That said, there are a few unbalanced endgames you are likely to encounter again and again. I’ve selected a few and attempted to point out some lesser known endgame knowledge to give you an endgame edge.
Knight Vs Bishop
Knights and bishops are often exchanged for each other, so this is an extremely common endgame imbalance. It is also not immediately clear which player has the advantage.
A bishop is considered to be a slightly stronger piece and this generally holds true in the endgame. Particularly in open positions, a bishop can control many squares on a diagonal, protect pawns, and evade an active king. Bishops are also happy when there are pawns on both sides of the board. By sitting in the middle, they can attack/protect both sides, which is not possible for a knight.
Knights are only really better in an endgame in which all of the pawns are on one side and the position is closed.
In this position, the bishop has to protect the pawn chain and white king will be able to get around to the other side of the board. The position is completely winning for White.
Rook Vs Pieces
A rook should generally win if playing against a bishop or a knight. However, this shouldn’t be taken for granted as there are many ways players can claim draws and even wins in these endgames.
If the only pieces on the board are a rook, bishop, and the two kings, the rook can win, but it is very difficult. In many cases, these positions will end in a draw. Often this is because of the ‘50 move draw rule,” which states that if no captures or pawn moves are made for 50 moves, a player can claim a draw.
In the same situation, but with a knight, it is easier for the attacker to win. Nevertheless, the rook and the king need to be used correctly to force the knight to be taken. For the defender, you have to create a fortress with the knight and king. This allows you to repeat moves until the game is drawn.
These endgames are difficult to convert and usually drawn, especially in time controlled games. However, if you add pawns to the position, the attacker with the rook will usually win. The power and mobility of the rook makes it very difficult for a knight or bishop to compete. However, the attacking player must still watch out for forks and pins.
Further Reading: Must-Know Rook Endgames in Chess
Queen Vs Rooks
If you’re a beginner, this one may surprise you. Two rooks will usually come out on top against a queen. The piece value system acknowledges this: two rooks are worth 10 points and a queen is worth 9.
In an endgame, the rooks can coordinate in a way that allows them to capture pawns and defend more effectively. When only the kings remain, the two rooks can threaten the queen and eventually develop ladder attacks. This will eventually allow a pin against the queen or checkmate, allowing the player with two rooks to win.
Unbalanced Pawns
Arguably, pawns are the most important pieces in the endgame. If all other pieces are traded off, the number and position of your pawns will determine the outcome of the game. Pawn imbalances are not only about how many you have, but their overall structure.
There are many things to consider in a pawn endgame, but key factors are how to create passed pawns, king activity, and blockades.
If the imbalance is in your favour, your goal is usually to create a passed pawn; for example, by attacking two pawns with three. For the player with the worse position, the idea is often to look for a way to blockade or lock the position so the opponent cannot advance. Alternatively, exploring stalemating ideas or looking for the possibility of pawn breaks if your opponent blunders.
In this example, White has a passed pawn. However, their king can never make progress past the pawn blockade so the game will eventually be drawn by agreement, repetition, or the 50-move rule.
Further Reading: Pawn Endgame in Chess: Getting It Right!
Improving in Unbalanced Chess Endgames
The answer is simple: study and practice. While it is not everyone's favorite stage of the game, endgames are full of tactical possibilities and positional intrigue. We've looked at a few types of endgames, but there are plenty of nuances that can be explored.
Imbalances are a fascinating part of the game. As you improve as a player, learning how to identify and exploit small advantages will be a key part of how you win chess matches.