Practical Chess Improvement for the Aspiring Club Player

IM Robert Ris

The Robert Ris Method

Chess pro IM Robert Ris reveals his training methods for rapid improvement in this 15 hour course.

Drawing on his own experience, IM Ris focuses on the 4 key areas you need to work on to become a
strong player: becoming a tactical monster; improving your positional play; mastering material
imbalances and learning the essential endgame techniques.

Study these areas with IM Ris and you will be able to play powerful chess in any type of position. No
weaknesses means fewer losses and new strengths means more victories.

The insights and advice contained in the Robert Ris Method will save you from years of trial-and-error,
instead putting you on the most direct path to mastery.

Summary:

Introduction: About this course

Part 1: Become a Tactical Monster

Introduction

Chapter 1: Sensing tactical opportunities

Chapter 2: The initiative
Chapter 3: When and how to start an attack
Chapter 4: The power of major pieces

Part 2: Improve your Positional Understanding

Introduction

Chapter 5: Weak squares

Chapter 6: Prophylactic thinking
Chapter 7: Creating a second target

1
Chapter 8: Space advantage

Part 3: Mastering Material Imbalances

Introduction

Chapter 9: Pawns vs. pieces

Chapter 10: Queen vs. two rooks
Chapter 11: Rook vs. two minor pieces
Chapter 12: The exchange

Part 4: Essential Endgame Techniques

Introduction

Chapter 13: Converting a material advantage

Chapter 14: Exploiting better pawn structures
Chapter 15: Your King is one of the guys!
Chapter 16: Calculation matters

2
 Part 1: Become a Tactical Monster
Chapter 1: Sensing tactical opportunities
1. Tactics are perhaps the most essential part of chess. Most games played below the 2200
level are decided by tactics. Mastering them helps you at any stage of the game – from
the opening to the endgame. You can play a wonderful positional game, completely
outplay your opponent, but ruin all your efforts with one tactical blunder. Every aspiring
player must develop a good sense for tactical opportunities. If you really want to improve
your play, you need to work on your tactical abilities constantly.

2. IM Robert Ris teaches that one key aspect of improving your tactical abilities is to
understand the thinking process involved in discovering tactical opportunities.

3. First of all, you need to be aware of the fact there might be a tactical opportunity in the
position. Chess players often miss tactical opportunities because they think a certain
position is positional in nature and so is unlikely to hold hidden tactical resources. Always
be alert and consider tactical ideas.

4. There are certain ‘clues’ or warning signs which make it more likely that there is a tactical
opportunity in the position. One of these warning signs is the presence of unprotected
pieces. GM John Nunn coined the phrase “loose pieces drop off” (often referred to as
LPDO) to remind players that an unprotected/loose piece is a serious weakness. There are
many situations where we can combine threats to take advantage of loose pieces.

5. Another ‘clue’ which points towards possible tactics is an overloaded piece. Make sure
your pieces don’t have too many defensive tasks. If your opponent’s pieces are
overloaded, try to exploit this.

Example:

It is Black to move. White’s rook on g3 is overloaded. It

can’t move as it has to protect the bishop on e3. Black first
exchanges one pair of rooks on c1 and then attacks the

3
rook on g3. After 1...Rxc1 2.Nxc1 Rg8!, White loses material. 3.Rxg8 Bxe3+ (a key intermediate
move with check) 4.Kh1 Kxg8-+.

6. Another skill you need is to “systemize” your calculation. It’s inefficient if your thoughts
skip from one line to another and back all the time. Look at candidate moves one by one.
Start by calculating “forcing moves” - checks, captures and threats. By doing this, you’ll be
able to evaluate the most obvious variations in any position. What’s more, forcing lines are
easier to calculate than lines involving quiet moves.

7. Don’t just calculate variations superficially. If a promising variation doesn’t work, don’t
dismiss it straight away. Question it, look deeper and calculate half a move longer. Often
you’ll find unexpected opportunities which you might have missed.

8. Check the move order! You might have a good idea, but the move order could be wrong.
If one of your variations looks good, but does not work, try to change the move order.

9. Finally, it’s not enough just to be familiar with these guidelines. You constantly need to
train tactics by solving puzzles. You can never solve too many! Even the best players in the
world regularly solve tactical exercises to stay sharp and broaden their repertoire of
tactical patterns. The more chess puzzles you solve, the more tactical motifs you’ll notice
over the board. It is much easier to spot a hidden tactical resource if you have seen the
idea before.

There are many great resources available to dive deeper into the world of chess tactics.
Many good chess books and video series have been published on chess tactics and there
are tools like Chess Tactic Trainers online. IM Robert Ris believes it’s essential for every
player to make use of these resources.

4
 Chapter 2: The initiative
1. For engines, playing against the initiative is not an issue. In games between humans,
however, it’s more likely that your opponent will make mistakes when he is under
pressure. Fight for the initiative and try to find a way to put your opponent on the back
foot before he finds a way to do the same to you!

2. Attacking is usually easier than defending because there are so many different ways to
build up an attack. When attacking, you can mostly focus on your own ideas and plans.
When you’re defending, you have to react to your opponent’s moves and anticipate them
early on. This makes it a lot more pleasant to have the initiative! Having the initiative
means preventing your opponent from executing his own plans.

3. How can you obtain and keep the initiative? If you see that your opponent’s pieces don’t
work well together, don’t hesitate to sacrifice material (e.g. a pawn) to create a lasting
initiative.

4. The initiative is a dynamic advantage, not a static one. Dynamic chess is all about
momentum. The first World Champion, Wilhelm Steinitz, said: “If you have an [dynamic]
advantage, you must use it immediately, or it will disappear”.

5. To keep the initiative, you need to pose problems to your opponent. Keeping the initiative
means keeping the opponent busy by creating new threats with every move. Even if your
pieces are threatened, look for your own opportunities. Ask yourself if you can ignore your
opponent’s threat and launch a counterattack. The concept of ignoring your opponent’s
threats and activating your pieces as quickly as possible is worth remembering. Be aware
of it during your decision-making process at the chess board.

Example:

It is Black to move. The f6 knight is under attack. However,

the position is extremely sharp and every tempo counts.
Moving the knight would allow White to regain the
initiative. So Black ignored the threat and played 1...Be6!

5
(1...Ne8? 2.Nd5!) , creating threats on his own. After 2.gxf6 Bxb3 3.axb3 Qxb3+ 4.Ka1 Bxf6!
White has no defense against Black’s numerous threats on the queenside.

Chapter 3: When and how to start an attack

1. Improving your tactics will also help you develop a better sense of when to start an attack,
and how to build it up.

2. To attack your opponent’s king successfully, there are certain beneficial circumstances. A
space advantage, a closed center or the absence of your opponent’s pieces from near his
king are some of them.

3. Firstly, before you commit yourself to attacking, evaluate their chances for counterplay.
Your attack will be a lot more effective if you prevent counterplay first.

4. Secondly, look for your opponent’s defensive resources. Strong chess engines show us
innovative ways to defend against seemingly crushing attacks. If you spot a relatively
easy defense for your opponent, don’t weaken your position by going all-out for the
attack.

5. Don’t rush with your attack if there is no urgency. Try to improve all your pieces first and
only then play committal moves. Include all your pieces in the attack.

6. Pawns can also turn out to be strong attacking units. Sometimes, a well-placed pawn is
stronger than a badly-placed piece.

7. Always ask yourself: What was the intention behind my opponent’s last move? Even when
you’re attacking, you sometimes need to slow yourself down and make prophylactic
moves to prevent your opponent’s ideas.

8. Some moves are harder to spot than others. When you’re attacking, for example, it’s easy
to overlook moves backwards as they seem counterintuitive. However, there are many
situations where these moves can fuel your attack. Don’t limit yourself to all-out attacking

6
 moves, but also consider these calm but effective quiet moves.

9. Finally, consider all your candidate moves. Not all attacking ideas are immediately
obvious. Identify all the targets in your opponent’s position and look for hidden resources
to exploit them.

Example:

At first glance, it seems White has a crushing attack.

However, it is also important to notice that White is a
piece down. He has to come up with a concrete
continuation. It’s immediately obvious that the g7
square is a target in Black’s position. This square is
only defended by Black’s knight on e6. White can
eliminate this knight on the spot. However, a good
attacking player does not simply take this knight, but
carefully considers all the attacking and defensive
resources. After 1.Rxe6?! Rg8 (only move) 2.Nxg8
Rxg8, White is an exchange up, but the position is not
that clear. White’s attack is over and the queen on h6 is not well placed. Black also has some
attacking ideas himself with his queen and light-squared bishop ready to combine.

Instead, White should look for additional targets. It turns out that h7 is also weak. After 1.g4!
(preparing Rh3) Qc2 2.Nf5! (a knight move backwards which cuts off Black’s queen from
defending) Rg8+ 3.Qxh7+! Kxh7 4.Rh3+ Kg6 5.Rh6 is mate.

Chapter 4: The power of major pieces

1. Major piece endgames are tricky. Officially, these positions are defined as endgames. Due
to their sharp character, however, major piece endgames are often atypical. In most
endgames, for example, the king becomes an important piece and needs to be activated.
In an endgame with queens and rooks on the board, however, the king needs to be well-
protected as your opponent’s major pieces can easily switch from one side of the board to
another and create mating threats. That’s why king safety is one of the most important

7
 factors in evaluating a major piece endgame.

2. Major pieces are usually best placed when you centralize them. The queen in the center of
the board is an extremely powerful piece as that’s where it has the most moves available
and covers the most squares. A strong queen in the center can dominate the opponent’s
whole army and, with many open files and diagonals, is still flexible to move to either side
of the board quickly.

3. Major pieces find it difficult to defend against a passed pawn. A far advanced and well-
protected passed pawn can tie your opponent’s pieces to passive defense. In these
positions, it is a good idea to play according to the principle of two weaknesses. Combine
threats on one side of the board with threats on the other side.

Example:
Black pieces have to defend passively against White’s
passed pawn on c6. Still, the pawn on c6 won’t be
enough to win the game. Therefore, White plans to
create another weakness on the kingside by pushing his
h-pawn up the board. White combines threats on one
side of the board with more threats on the other side..

4. Quiet moves are difficult to spot in razor-sharp

major piece endgames with exposed kings. Still,
it pays to look for them as well as forcing
moves.

8
 Part 2: Improve your Positional Understanding
Chapter 5: Weak squares

1. Tactical and positional play often go hand in hand. As humans can’t calculate like
computers, it rarely makes sense to calculate every playable move in a given position. First
we need to use our intuition and general positional principles to figure out what’s
important in the position in front of us. Only when you understand what the position calls
for, you are able to come up with sensible candidate moves which can be backed up with
precise calculation. We use a combination of tactical and positional considerations for our
decision-making process.

2. One key characteristic of a strong positional player is the ability to exploit weak squares in
the opponent’s camp.

3. A weak square is a square which can no longer be defended by your own pawns. To
exploit a weak square, you first need to identify the weaknesses in your opponent’s
position.

4. Secondly, you need to find a way to exploit the weak square. Exploiting weak squares is
closely connected to the question of which pieces to exchange. Try to figure out which
pieces you want to exchange and which pieces you want to keep on the board. If you
exchange the wrong pieces, you might not be able to make use of the opponent’s
weakness anymore.

Example:

This position is from a well-known opening line from the

Sicilian Najdorf. One characteristic of the Najdorf is that Black
has a hole on d5 and a weak pawn on d6. Of course, he has
compensation. However, White can try to exploit this
weakness. White’s dream position would be to exchange three
pairs of minor pieces and keep a strong knight on d5 against
Black’s weak dark-squared bishop on e7.

9
One strategic idea to reach this goal would be to exchange his bishop for the knight on f6, a
defender of the d5-square, and to go for the maneuver Nf3-d2-c4-e3-d5. Although this is a long-
term plan and Black can try to prevent it, it is important to determine your positional goals in chess.

Chapter 6: Prophylactic Thinking

1. Most amateur players are too concerned with their own position, only thinking about their
own plans and how to improve their own pieces. One key positional concept which helps
you to become a better player is the concept of prophylactic thinking.

2. Basically, prophylactic thinking means considering what your opponent is trying to do.
The goal is to get into the habit of considering your opponent’s ideas and preventing
them while simultaneously improving your own position. There is a famous chess quote
which says that it doesn’t matter if your position isn’t that great as long as it’s a bit better
than your opponent’s!

3. Prophylactic thinking is also useful when attacking. Whenever you launch an attack,
consider your opponent’s defensive resources and find a way how to prevent them from
being used.

Example:

White is better here. He has a strong knight on e5 against

a weak bishop on e8. Still, White should not play carelessly,
but use the method of prophylactic thinking. What does
Black have in mind? What is Black’s plan? Black’s idea is to
play ...f6 and when the knight retreats to d3, he has ...Bb5,
pinning the knight. Once the minor pieces are exchanged,
White’s advantage is gone. So White should play
prophylactically, 1.Qd3!, stopping the bishop from coming
to b5 and keeping an eye on the g6-pawn. Now, 1...f6 is
impossible in view of 2.Nxg6.

10
 Chapter 7: Sensing tactical opportunities
1. The principle of two weaknesses is key in chess. One weakness in our opponent’s camp is
usually not enough to win the game. You might have a clear advantage, but still not be
able to convert it into victory. Your rival will use all his forces to defend the one weakness.
In such situations, we need to create a second weakness for the opponent.

2. For the defender, it’s difficult to deal with several weaknesses. Aiming at multiple targets
means that there are multiple defensive tasks for your opponent to take care of.

3. Creating a second target is especially effective if the weaknesses are on different sides of
the board. Usually, the attacking player has more space and better piece coordination.
With this, it’s easier to quickly switch from one side of the board to the other. The
defender is often not able to regroup his own pieces equally fast and so can’t defend
against all the threats.

Example:

This position is taken from a famous game played by

Bobby Fischer. White has a fantastic knight on d5 against
a bad bishop on e7. But what to play? Many players would
be tempted to go for a kingside attack with 1.f6?!
It’s tempting but there are many variations to calculate
and after, say, 1...Bxf6 2.Rxf6 gxf6, things are becoming
more difficult. Suddenly, White is an exchange down and
needs to prove he has sufficient compensation. In the
starting position, however, White has a risk-free edge and
Black has no counterplay at all. So, why sacrifice an exchange and complicate matters?

Fischer knows that the knight on d5 is not enough to win the game. Therefore, he simply creates
another weakness on the queenside. He went for 1.Ra1!! with the idea of playing a2-a4,
challenging the pawns on a6 and b5. An additional target on the queenside helps White win.

11
 Chapter 8: Space advantage
1. “Space” is an important strategic element. The player who has more space controls a
greater number of squares. In middlegame positions where there are many pieces still on
the board, a space advantage can often be beneficial. Your pieces have more scope to
maneuver and you can often increase pressure on your opponent.

2. An important strategic rule is that the side with more space should avoid exchanges. In
contrast, the player who has less space should try to seek exchanges.
The reason for this is that if you have less space and there are a lot of pieces still on the
board, it is hard to find good squares for all of them. The player with less space has to
place his pieces on passive squares. Once pieces get exchanged, a space advantage can
quickly become a huge disadvantage as there are simply not enough chess pieces left to
control all the squares. Remember: moving pawns forward always means creating holes
behind you.

3. Psychologically speaking, it is easier to play with a space advantage as your opponent

can’t do much and has to spend time regrouping his pieces. It can be extremely
unpleasant to be deprived of any active opportunities and to be forced to stay passive.
Your opponent will often lose patience and make concessions while desperately trying to
become active.

Example:

White enjoys a nice space advantage. It’s not easy for

Black to find useful moves. White, however, has plenty of
ideas in the position. He can play on the kingside, in the
center or on the queenside. Black can only wait for White
to get active.
However, Black lost patience and played 1…c6?! Of
course, this move can’t be good as it weakens Black’s
pawn structure. White is clearly better after 2.dxc6.

12
4. Finally, it’s important to understand that during a chess game, you often have to exchange
one type of advantage into another. You don’t win games simply because you have more
space than your opponent. At some point, that space advantage needs to be transformed
into something else like a material advantage or winning pawn structure.

Part 3: Mastering Material Imbalances

Chapter 9: Pawns vs. pieces
1. Many club players like to play solidly and aim to avoid different types of material
imbalance. This is a bad habit which prevents you from reaching your full potential. Any
aspiring chess player needs to be able to deal with different material imbalances

2. In theory, a knight and a bishop are worth 3 points. Three pawns are also worth 3 points.
However, the value of these pieces is relative. A bishop that is completely locked in by his
own pawns and can’t participate in the game isn’t worth anything. A knight in the corner
which can’t come into play is only worth 3 points in theory. A protected knight on the
sixth rank, however, can completely dominate a rook (which is worth 5 points in theory). It
becomes obvious that the real value of the pieces always depends on the position.

3. In the majority of cases, a piece is stronger than a pawn. However, there are exceptions.
The evaluation depends on other factors of the position. A badly-placed piece might
prove to be less useful than a couple of pawns working together.

4. In the middlegame, two strong pawns in the center can be equal to a piece. The pawns
can prevent the opponent’s pieces from becoming active by taking away key squares.
They can also keep important files and diagonals closed, so the enemy pieces are
restricted. Finally, the pawns can be pushed forward at an appropriate moment and have
the chance to be promoted. The decision to go for such imbalances depends on all these
factors. It’s not possible to base such decisions on general grounds - you need to evaluate
the position in front of you.

13
Example:

White just captured Black’s pawn on f4 and Black played

...c6, attacking White’s knight on d5. Of course, White could
retreat his knight. However, Mamedyarov, playing White,
recognized his connected pawns in the center would be
stronger than Black’s extra piece and went for 1.fxe5! cxd5
2.exd5 with a clearly better position.

Chapter 10: Queen vs. two rooks

1. It’s common in the middlegame and endgame that one side has a queen and the other
side some form of material compensation like two rooks.

2. This is a key imbalance in chess. Again, many club players fear to play with two rooks
against a queen. They value the queen too highly and are reluctant to sacrifice it for two
rooks. Don’t dismiss moves which give up your queen for two rooks. Sometimes the
position calls for it and you have to be ready to play these types of positions.

3. It’s important to understand which positions favor the queen and which positions favor
the two rooks. There are three major guiding factors which determine the evaluation of
the position.

4. First of all, king safety plays a crucial role in these positions. If you’re playing with two
rooks against a queen, your king should be safe. It can be dangerous if your king is
exposed.

5. Secondly, your pieces should be protected. Because of the queen’s speed and power, it is
dangerous to have loose pieces. The queen is good at picking off unprotected pieces.

14
 6. Thirdly and ideally, the two rooks coordinate well. Quiet positions, for example, favor the
two rooks. When the two rooks work together and have a clear target, the position can be
improved slowly and the queen often can’t do anything about it. In the endgame, there is
often the opportunity to exchange the two rooks for the queen and a pawn and transpose
to a winning pawn endgame.

Example:

Here, the outcome of the game completely depends on whose

move it is. Black’s rooks aren’t connected. If it’s White to
move, the queen simply picks up a rook with 1.Qc3+!

If it’s Black’s move, he plays 1…Rf6!, coordinating the two

rooks and attacking the pawn on f2. White has no defense.
After 2.Qc5 Rdxf2 3.Qxf2 Rxf2 4.Kxf2, the pawn endgame
is winning for Black.

7. If the worst comes to the worst, the defensive

resource of creating a fortress is a last hope to defend against the queen. A fortress is a
position which is too solid to crack.

Example:

Here, Black has created a fortress. Although White is two

pawns up, he can’t make any progress. Black’s two rooks on the
6th rank are ideally placed to stop White’s pawns advancing
any further.

15
 Chapter 11: Rook vs. two minor pieces
1. Two minor pieces vs. a rook is a material imbalance which occurs frequently. Often, the
side with the rook has one or two additional pawns.

2. In the middlegame, two minor pieces are usually stronger than a rook. In the endgame,
this advantage usually becomes smaller and sometimes the rook can be better. This is
because in the middlegame the rook often lacks open files to become active. With limited
material left in an endgame, however, the rook has a lot more scope to maneuver.

3. In the endgame, pawns become more valuable. As the side with the rook often has one or
two extra pawns, they should aim to reach an endgame. In contrast, the side with the two
pieces should try to keep material on the board.

4. The evaluation of endgames with a rook vs. two minor pieces depends on whether the
two pieces are well-coordinated or not. A recurring pattern for the side with the rook is to
pin poorly connected minor pieces.

Example:

There is a major imbalance in this position. Black has two

rooks and two extra pawns against White’s two minor
pieces. How should we evaluate this position?
Black is clearly better for two reasons. First of all, the two
extra pawns are a key asset in the endgame. Sooner or
later, Black can set his pawn majorities on the kingside
and queenside into motion. Secondly, White’s minor
pieces are not well-coordinated. Black’s rooks will soon
become very active.

16
 Chapter 12: The Exchange
1. An exchange sacrifice occurs when one player gives up a rook for a minor piece.

2. Again, psychologically speaking, many club players feel uncomfortable sacrificing a piece
as they don’t like to exchange a stronger piece (a rook – worth 5 points in theory) for a
weaker one (a knight or a bishop – worth 3 points in theory). This psychological effect is
so strong that players sometimes decline the possibility of sacrificing even without
calculating and understanding the details.

3. Usually, one side sacrifices the exchange to get some form of compensation. One idea
could be to destroy the enemy king’s position or to remove an important defensive piece
to gain the initiative or an attack. Another idea might be to seek positional compensation.
The player who sacrifices the exchange gets long-term positional compensation for the
lost material.

4. One consideration to make before sacrificing an exchange is to check if the opponent has
open files for his extra rook. If the opponent’s extra rook has little chance of becoming
active, it’s more likely that sacrificing an exchange is a sensible decision.

Example:

White’s rook is attacked by Black’s bishop. White could

retreat his rook and play with compensation for a pawn.
However, White decided to sacrifice an exchange here with
1.Rae1!? This is an interesting decision. In return for the
exchange, White gets extremely active pieces. Especially the
bishop on e5 which dominates the position. White
definitely has good practical chances here.

17
 Part 4: Essential Endgame Techniques
Chapter 13: Converting a material advantage

1. Converting a material advantage into a full point is a vital skill for any player. Many club
players aim for an opening advantage and, even if they are able to hold on to this
advantage, they are unable to convert it in the endgame. The reason is simple: most club
players spend very little time studying endgames.

2. When you have a material advantage, it’s usually a good idea to trade pieces. You can a
draw a simple analogy to the game of soccer. If one team gets a red card and you’re
playing with 11 players vs. 10 players, it’s still not easy to win. If you’re playing with 3
players vs. 2 players or even 2 vs. 1, it’s a lot easier to win the game. According to IM
Robert Ris, 95% of pawn endgames are winning for the side with extra material.

3. However, simplifying the position does not mean to go for any old trades. You can’t
exchange pieces blindly and hope your extra pawn will be enough to win. If you simply
exchange all the remaining material on the board until you find yourself with a rook’s
pawn against the opponent’s king in front of your pawn, you won’t be able to win the
game.

4. Piece exchanges are critical decisions as they can’t be taken back. Think twice about which
pieces to exchange. Due to the reduced material in endgames, it is even more important
exchange the right pieces than it is in middlegames. Making the right decisions on which
pieces to trade is what separates great players from average players.

5. If you are familiar with the most important theoretical endgames (like the knowledge of
basic pawn endgames) and know which positions are drawing or winning, you can actively
aim for them in your games. Knowing which positions to aim for will help you to make
right exchanges to convert your advantage.

6. Slow and consistent play is key in the endgame. Do not hurry in quiet positions. Your
opponent is deprived of active counterplay, try to improve your position to the maximum
extent before starting concrete action. Don’t try to win as quickly as possible and allow

18
 your opponent to muddy the waters by giving him unnecessary counterplay. Look for the
qualitatively best way to win the game.

7. Stay focused! Winning a “winning” position is tricky – many players lose patience and
concentration in the endgame after 4 hours of playing. Even if your position is objectively
winning, play precisely so your advantage doesn’t slip.

Example:

White has a huge advantage here. However, Black can hope

to create a fortress in such positions. Therefore, White’s
cleanest way to bring home victory is to play 1.Qxf6! gxf6.
Players who are familiar with the most important pawn
endgames will quickly understand why. This shows the
importance of studying pawn endgames.

Chapter 14: Exploiting better pawn structures

1. Pawn structures play a crucial role in the endgame. You need to compare your pawn
structure with your opponent’s. Is the pawn structure symmetrical? Does your opponent
have any weak pawns or squares? How many pawn islands do you have compared to your
opponent? Are there passed or doubled pawns? All these questions need to be addressed
in the endgame.

2. While a bad pawn structure in the middlegame can be compensated by active piece play,
with reduced material in the endgame, pawn weaknesses (like doubled pawns, isolated
pawns, backwards pawns, many pawn islands etc.) can turn out to be decisive factors.

3. Good endgame technique allows you to exploit these pawn weaknesses in your
opponent’s position. Again, it’s important not to rush or make any committal moves if

19
 your opponent can’t get rid of his pawn weaknesses.

4. Regroup your pieces to more useful squares and make them work together. Let all your
pieces participate and improve them to the maximum extent before starting concrete
action.

Example:

White has a clear advantage due to the fact that Black

can’t get rid of his pawn weaknesses. White is in no
hurry and can take time to regroup and improve his
pieces before starting any concrete action.

Chapter 15: Your King is one of the guys!

1. Centralization of the king is one of the main principles of endgame play.
Generally speaking, the changing role of the king is one of the most important
characteristics separating endgames from other phases of the game.

2. In the middlegame, we’ve have a protective mentality about the king. In the endgame,
however, you need to switch your thinking. An active king can protect weaknesses, control
important squares and target weak pawns, so faster pieces like rooks don’t have to fulfill
defensive tasks. As a rule of thumb, the king is considered to be worth 4 points in the
endgame – but don’t sacrifice him!

3. That said, it’s not only important to activate your own king in the endgame, but also to
prevent your opponent’s king from getting active. Cutting off the opponent’s king is a
crucial endgame technique.

20
Example:

White’s pawn is only two squares away from promoting.

Black’s only hope to hold a draw is to sacrifice his rook for
the b-pawn and push his own pawn up the board. So, how to
continue – 1...Kg4 or 1...Ke4?
The right move is 1...Ke4! Black’s active king on e4 will
prevent White’s king from returning and stopping Black’s f-
pawn. After 1...Kg4?, Black loses. White’s king won’t have
any problems returning to stop Black’s pawn.

4. Do not capture every pawn blindly. Sometimes, your

opponent’s pawns are hindering his counterplay!

Example:

Here, White does not take Black’s pawn on e5, but plays
1.Kf5. It becomes clear that the e5 pawn is hindering Black
from creating counterplay with ...Ra5. Without the pawn on
e5, the move ...Ra5 would come with check. White uses Black’s
pawn as an ‘umbrella’ to hide his own king.

21
 Chapter 16: Calculation matters
1. It’s a common misconception among club players that tactics and calculation aren’t
important in the endgame. Many players look at a winning position and simply claim that
the rest is “a matter of technique”. However, it’s rarely possible to win endgames on
autopilot. Every position is unique.

2. To become a good endgame player, you need both, knowledge of key endgame
guidelines and the skill to calculate lines precisely. One little inaccuracy can change the
result dramatically. Tiny details like one single tempo can make all the difference in the
endgame.

3. You can also make use of small details and hidden resources when defending worse
positions. For example, when you realize your king has no moves and your pawns cannot
move either, your brain should be immediately alerted that there might be stalemate
ideas to play for.

4. IM Robert Ris recommends solving endgame studies as a great way to improve your
technique. You will develop a better sense for small finesses and improve your skill to
calculate accurately.

Example:

In some positions, general guidelines don’t help. You need to

calculate accurately to win. This is a good example to
illustrate this point. It is Black to move. Black’s pawn is only
one square away from queening. But What to play here –
1...Kc3 or 1...Kd3?

At first glance, it looks like both moves lead to the same

position. However, there is a big difference. After 1...Kd3?,
White manages to draw after 2.g4! Rd1 3.Rxc2 Kxc2
4.Ke4!

22
After 1...Kc3!, however, Black wins. After 2.g4 Rd4! (of course not 2...Rd1 3.Rxc2+ Kxc2 with the
same position as after 1...Kd3?), Black cuts off the king. If White’s pawn advances without the help
of the king, Black’s rook will simply capture it. Cutting off the king is an important endgame
technique to be familiar with. Still, Black could only find the right move by calculating accurately.

23