The imprisoned king

Escape from jail

Once the black king is "out on bail" he can collect pawns to draw the game.

Chess Endgames 5 - Endgame Principles Activity & Initiative

Activity is above all important when we consider the role of the kings in the endgame because it is then that they leave their protective shield of pawns and take an active part in the proceedings. A further major topic is the activity of the rook and it is not uncommon in the ending for a pawn to be sacrificed to obtain such activity. The chapter on initiative introduces, for example, endgames such as rook+knight against rook+knight, because neither of these pieces is suited to a passive role and even a slight initiative can be sufficient for victory. In the endgame mate should contantly be in your thoughts. So, for example, Stamma’s mate is treated, as are mating attacks in rook endings and the 4th phase of the game. The correct choice of pieces to exchange naturally always plays an important role, but generally speaking the cost of every wrong move increases in the endgame. Video runnig time: 4 hrs 18 min.

Karsten Müller in ChessBase Magazine

Do you like these lessons? There are plenty more by internationally renowned endgame expert Dr Karsten Müller in ChessBase Magazine, where you will also find openings articles and surveys, tactics, and of course annotations by the world's top grandmasters.

Apart from his regular columns and video lectures in ChessBase Magazine there is a whole series of training DVDs by Karsten Müller, which are bestsellers in the ChessBase Shop.

Karsten Müller regularly presents endgame lessons in the ChessBase Video Portal

ChessBase Magazine #181 (December/January)

The editor’s top ten: 

1. Counter-puncher Carlsen: Peter Heine Nielsen shows how, cool as ice, the world champion seized his chance against Caruana in the IoM.
2. Calculate correctly: test your calculation of variations with Oliver Reeh in his interactive tactics video!
3. The improved Grand Prix Attack: let Simon Williams enthuse you for 2.Be2 against the Sicilian.
4. Tricks in a double rook ending: Karsten Müller shows you the key points in Aronian-Vachier Lagrave from the World Cup (video)
5. Drum roll with a long echo: Max Illingworth sums up what Grischuk's 6...Bc5 has set in motion in the theory of the English Opening.
6. What's new in the King's Indian Attack? Let Igor Stohl bring you bang up to date.
7. Surviving despite -+(4,84): David Navara explains how he saved the draw with a rook against a queen and despite being a pawn down.
8. Attack, attack, attack: let Aronian's second Ashot Nadanian show you how the Armenian notched up his first win in the World Cup final.
9. Doubled is better: find the diversionary motif in Khalifman-Ehlvest from the FIDE training course of Efstratios Grivas.
10. World Cup decider: enjoy one of the most spectacular tiebreaks in Daniel King's video analysis!

Links

• On the a and h-files
• Hunting the bishop