Editing Chess (section)

====Endgame====
{{Main|Chess endgame}}
{{Chess diagram  
|tright
|Example of zugzwang
|  |  |kd|  |  |  |  | 
|  |  |pl|  |  |  |  | 
|  |  |  |kl|  |  |  | 
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  | 
|The side to move is disadvantaged.
}}

The endgame (also ''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>{{harvp|Harding|2003|pp=187ff}}</ref>
* Pawns become more important. Endgames often revolve around endeavors to [[Promotion (chess)|promote]] a pawn by advancing it to the furthest {{chessgloss|rank}}.
* The king, which requires safeguarding from attack during the middlegame, emerges as a strong piece in the endgame. It is often used to protect its own pawns, attack enemy pawns, and hinder moves of the opponent's king.
* [[Zugzwang]], a situation in which the player who is to move is forced to incur a disadvantage, is often a factor in endgames but rarely in other stages of the game. In the example diagram, either side having the move is in zugzwang: Black to move must play 1...Kb7 allowing White to promote the pawn after 2.Kd7; White to move must permit a draw, either by 1.Kc6 [[stalemate]] or by losing the pawn after any other legal move.

Endgames can be classified according to the type of pieces remaining on the board. [[Checkmate#Basic checkmates|Basic checkmates]] are positions in which 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, [[king and pawn endgame]]s 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 pieces on the board other than kings, such as "[[rook and pawn versus rook]]" endgames.
{{clear}}