By: Malcolm Peskoff

Malcolm Peskoff — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 14:02:16 +0000

These are the rules for the Endgame. Easy to memorize, easy to remember.
From the book, Basic Chess Endings, by Fine and Benko BCE was written in 1941 by Fine, and GM Botvinnik used the book to prepare for games.
The Rules:
The book has been updated by Benko, and now includes 20 basic rules for the endgame.
The rules throughout the book, for different endings are easy to memorize.
The Twenty Rules: (B= Benko, F=Fine).
These are the rules of the Endgame from Fine and Benko.
Somewhere in my chess board brain I memorized the Fine 15 rules years ago.
When returning to chess 6 months ago just about, I played the endings of my games by knowledge of the following. I just received the updated and revised copy of Fine and Benko Basic Chess Endings (2003).
hese are the Benko and Fine Rules for the Endgame.
1. Think about the endgame in the middlegame. (B)
2. Exchanges. Someone gets the better deal. (B)
3. The King is a strong piece. Use it. (F)
4. If you are a pawn or two ahead, exchange pieces. (F)
5. If you are behind, exchange pawns, not pieces. (F)
6. If you have an advantage, do not leave all the pawns on one side. (F)
7. A distant passed pawn is half the victory. (B)
8. Passed pawns should be avvanced as rapidly as possibly. (F)
9. Doubled, isolated, and blocakaded pawns are weak: Avoid them. (F)
10. The easiet endings to win are pure pawn endings. (F)
11. Passed pawns should be blockaded by the King, the piece that is not harmed
by
watching a pawn is a Knight. (F)
12. Two Bishops, vs. Bishop & Knight constitute a tangible advantage. (F)
13. Bishops are better than Knights in all except blocked pawn positions. (F)
14. Do not place your pawns on the color of your Bishop. (F)
15. The easiest endings to draw are those with bishops of oposite colors. (F)
16. Rooks belong behind passed pawns. (F)
17. A rook on the 7th rank is suffiecient compensation for a pawn. (F)
18. Not all rook endings are drawn. (B)
19. Perpetual check looms in all queen endings. (B)
20. Every move in the endgame is of the utmost importance beucas you are closer
to the
moment of truth. (B)

By: Sue Palazzola

Sue Palazzola — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 19:20:29 +0000

Another great read! Thanks! I’m always looking out for your next blog, they seem to get better and better thankyou!

Comments on: Five Preliminary Endgame Rules

By: Malcolm Peskoff

By: Sue Palazzola