12/31/2019 – Endgames with bishops of opposite-colour are often difficult to win. In the diagram position White is a pawn down but can still save the game.

12/24/2019 – Endgames with bishops of the same colour are often a draw. Not as often as endgames with opposite-coloured bishops, but they are still difficult to win. In the diagram position White is a pawn down but can still save the game.

12/17/2019 – "All rook endings are drawn", is a well-known witticism that contains more than a grain of truth. One reason for the drawish tendencies of rook endings is the fact that even a single pawn often draws against the enemy rook.

12/10/2019 – In chess, opposition means that the square around the kings has corners of the same colour. However, all four (or two) corners must have the same colour. Then the side which is not to move has the opposition.

12/3/2019 – The endgame K+R+B against K+R is a theoretical draw. Therefore, the better side should take good care of its pawns before this endgame is reached.

11/26/2019 – In pawn endings it is often crucial to stop the enemy king from getting to good squares. Here, the "bodycheck" is an important device that is good to know and to remember.

11/19/2019 – Knights are versatile but slow. Sometimes they even have difficulty catching a single pawn.

11/11/2019 – In a pure endgame a rook is usually much better than a bishop but winning often still requires good technique.

11/5/2019 – Usually, having material is good. However, sometimes one's own pieces are in the way or prevent stalemate ideas. In the diagram belowm how can Black save the draw?

10/29/2019 – Knights are versatile and often cover surprisingly large areas of the board.

10/22/2019 – Pawn endings require precise calculation. See if you're up to the task with the latest explanation from Dr. Karsten Mueller.

10/15/2019 – Every beginner knows that a rook is better than a bishop. However, when passed pawns race things often get complicated.

10/8/2019 – The duel rook against bishop and knight is often fascinating and full of hidden details. In the diagram position White can use the bad position of Black's knight.

10/1/2019 – Usually, in the endgame rooks are much better than a knight. However, if only a few pawns remain on the board the defender might try to build a fortress. To crack such fortresses rooks often need support.

9/24/2019 – Even apparently simple pawn endings can be tricky.

9/17/2019 – This wild endgame features a pawn race full of twists and turns that is as fun to watch as it is to win (or draw if you're playing White)!

9/10/2019 – When fighting against a bishop in the endgame the defender often tries to create a fortress on the squares which the bishop cannot reach. However, one should not believe too much in fortresses.

9/3/2019 – Usually the pawnless ending rook and bishop against rook results in a drawn position. But if the attacker's pieces are well-placed he or she can sometimes even win against material superiority.

8/27/2019 – Even in the endgame direct mating attacks do occur. White to move and win.

8/20/2019 – If only a few pawns remain on the board the likelihood of a draw increases. Knight endgames are the closest pure pawn endings in terms of the stronger side having winning chances, but as the pawn count shrinks, so does the probability of a decisive outcome.

8/13/2019 – Knights are tricky, and knight endings usually require precise calculation.

8/6/2019 – Opposite-coloured bishops have two faces: in a pure endgame they are often drawn because the weaker side is often able to defend on the squares that his bishop controls. But with more pieces on the board the opposite-coloured bishops indeed tend to favour the attacker. In this case Black can use the attacking potential of his queen.

7/30/2019 – The duel of bishop against knight can be fascinating. The bishop often strives for dynamic play while the knight prefers more static positions.

7/29/2019 – Reviewer DAVIDE NASTASIO noticed a flaw in many chess biographies of world champions. They all have an index for the opponents, they have an index for the openings, but there is no index for the interesting endgames. Often we find a 400 or 500 page biography with tons of games, yet no idea how to find typical middlegame themes or endgames to learn from. In the latest FritzTrainer from GM Karsten Mueller, however, you'll find the world champions' best endgames, each deconstructed using Mueller's great endgame insight and teaching experience.