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  • Lesson 32 of 32
  • Endgame basics
  • 3 min

King and Pawn vs King: How to Win the Ending

King and pawn against king is the ending many others turn into. Whether it's a win or a draw depends almost entirely on where the kings stand, and the rule of thumb is short: king first, pawn second.

Step 1 of 4

  1. The key squares

    For a pawn that hasn't crossed the middle of the board, the key squares are the three squares two ranks in front of it. For this pawn on e4, they are d6, e6 and f6. Get your king onto any of them while the pawn is safe, and the pawn queens, whoever is to move. Here White, to move, steps onto d6 or e6 and wins. Pawns on the a- and h-files are the exception.

  2. King first

    Your pawn is on d3, so its key squares are c5, d5 and e5. Your king on d4 can step onto any of them right now. Do that, then escort the pawn to d8. The bot defends as well as the position allows.

    Your move

    Win the ending: make a queen. The bot will defend.

  3. The stalemate trap

    Take care near the end. Here White's king has just stepped to d6, and it's Black's move. What is the result?

    Question

  4. The rook pawn

    Your king stands in front of your a-pawn, and the black king is in the corner. It's White's move. Can White win?

    Question

What you learned

  • Key squares: for a pawn on its own half of the board, the three squares two ranks ahead.
  • Put your king on a key square first; push the pawn after.
  • Near the end, make sure the defending king still has a move.
  • A rook pawn is a draw if the defending king reaches the corner in front of it.

In this course

Unit 1The pieces

  1. The Chessboard and How to Set Up the Pieces
  2. How the Rook Moves in Chess
  3. How the Bishop Moves in Chess
  4. How the Queen Moves in Chess
  5. How the King Moves in Chess
  6. How the Knight Moves in Chess
  7. How Pawns Move and Capture in Chess
  8. Chess Piece Values: What Each Piece Is Worth

Unit 2Special moves

  1. What Is Check in Chess, and How to Get Out of It
  2. How to Castle in Chess: Kingside and Queenside
  3. En Passant in Chess, Explained on the Board
  4. Pawn Promotion in Chess: Turning a Pawn Into a Queen

Unit 3Winning the game

  1. What Is Checkmate? Learn to Mate in One
  2. Stalemate in Chess: Why It's a Draw
  3. How to Checkmate With a King and Queen

Unit 4Your first tactics

  1. The Fork: Attack Two Pieces at Once
  2. The Pin in Chess: Freeze a Piece in Place
  3. The Skewer in Chess: Attack Through a Piece

Unit 5Checkmate patterns

  1. Back-Rank Mate in Chess: Spot It and Stop It
  2. Smothered Mate in Chess: The Knight's Checkmate
  3. The Ladder Mate: Checkmate With Two Rooks
  4. How to Checkmate With a King and Rook

Unit 6More tactics

  1. Discovered Attack in Chess: Unmask a Hidden Attacker
  2. Double Check in Chess: Two Checks at Once
  3. Removing the Defender in Chess: Take the Guard

Unit 7Opening principles

  1. Control the Centre: A Chess Opening Principle
  2. How to Develop Your Pieces in the Chess Opening
  3. Scholar's Mate: How It Works and How to Stop It
  4. Fool's Mate: The Fastest Checkmate in Chess

Unit 8Endgame basics

  1. The Rule of the Square in Chess Endgames
  2. The Opposition in Chess: King Endgame Basics
  3. King and Pawn vs King: How to Win the Ending

Lessons for every game

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