Editing Chess strategy (section)

=== Endgame ===
{{Main|Chess endgame}}

{{Chess diagram 
| tright
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|__|__|kd|__|__|__|__|__
|__|__|pl|__|__|__|__|__
|__|__|__|kl|__|__|__|__
|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__
|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__
|__|__|__|__|__|__|__|__
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| An example of [[zugzwang]]: The side to move has a disadvantage.
}}

The endgame (or ''end game'' or ''ending'') is the stage of the game when there are few pieces left on the board. There are three main strategic differences between earlier stages of the game and the endgame:<ref>Harding (2003), p. 187ff</ref>
*During the endgame, pawns become more important; endgames often revolve around attempting to [[promotion (chess)|promote]] a pawn by advancing it to the eighth rank.
*The king, which must be protected in the middlegame owing to the threat of checkmate, becomes a strong piece in the endgame and it is often brought to the center of the board where it can protect its own pawns, attack the pawns of opposite color, and hinder movement of the opponent's king.
*[[Zugzwang]], a disadvantage because the player must make a move, is often a factor in endgames and rarely in other stages of the game. For example, in the adjacent diagram, Black on move must play 1...Kb7 and allow white to {{cgloss|queening|queen}} after 2.Kd7, while White on move must allow a draw either after 1.Kc6 stalemate or losing the last pawn by moving anywhere else.

Endgames can be classified according to the type of pieces remaining on the board. [[Checkmate#Basic checkmates|Basic checkmates]] are positions where one side has only a king and the other side has one or two pieces and can checkmate the opposing king, with the pieces working together with their king. For example, [[Chess endgame#King and pawn endings|king and pawn endgames]] involve only kings and pawns on one or both sides and the task of the stronger side is to promote one of the pawns. Other more complicated endings are classified according to the pieces on the board other than kings, e.g. "[[rook and pawn versus rook endgame]]".