3/20/2018 – A knight up in the endgame, with a couple of pawns still on the board — usually, this should be enough for a win. Usually it is, but not always.

3/19/2018 – The new Endgame Turbo 5 offers reliable information to assess all 3-, 4-, and 5-piece endgames, plus 143 of the most important 6-piece endgames. The new turbo in Syzygy format is delivered on an USB stick and can also be used from this stick.

3/16/2018 – One of the keystones to improving our understanding of the endgame is the endgame tablebase, a sort of oracle that first came into existence over 40 years ago. This revolutionary technology, that first saw light in the chess world thanks to computer scientist and pioneer Ken Thompson, has evolved a great deal since then. Here is a look at its beginnings and what each generation brought.

3/13/2018 – "Chess is 99% tactics" is an often quoted statement that emphasises how important it is to keep an open mind for tactics. Even when only a few pieces are left on the board.

3/12/2018 – Can you play rook and pawn vs rook? It is one of the most common endgames, and your ability to win it, when it is winnable, or draw it when that is possible, will bring you a fair number of rating points. The endgame expert André Chéron did pioneering work in this field, and Milos Pavlovic, grandmaster and chess trainer, gives us some vital tips, based on Chéron's work. It's all in the latest edition of the UK-based Chess Magazine.

3/6/2018 – Who is stronger? The queen or two rooks? This (of course) depends on the concrete position. However, the queen is always happy if she gets help.

3/6/2018 – Yannick Pelletier is a Swiss Grandmaster and well known DVD author for ChessBase. He's in Hamburg to record a DVD. He's in the organising comitee for the Biel Chess Festival and still very active on the chess board. Today he joins Karsten to look at some fascinating endgames from recent tournament praxis! Live at 15:00 CET (9:00 AM EST)!

2/27/2018 – Knights are tricky and can bring kings, queens, rooks and bishops into trouble. But knights are afraid of outside pawns - with good reason!

2/21/2018 – Endgame training has the reputation of being dry and boring. But Fritz 16 can make it easy, playful, fun and effective. The following short tutorial shows you how to hone your endgame skills with Fritz. | Photo: ChessBase

2/20/2018 – Endgames with opposite-coloured bishops are often paradoxical — sometimes they are drawn although one side is two or even three pawns up. This often leads to surprising tactical opportunities.

2/19/2018 – As we are privileged with so many interesting visitors and authors coming to the ChessBase office in Hamburg and frequenting our studio, we often try to grab them for a few quick questions to see how they are and what's new. Recently it was GM Karsten Müller who was sitting in the studio for an (off-camera) impromptu interview. | Photo: Pascal Simon

2/17/2018 – At the World Congress for Chess Composition (WCCC) 2017 in Dresden it was decided to dedicate the second year of this “Study of the Month” series to the education about chess composition history. Following this, we look at the successors of Troitzky this time: The Platov brothers.

2/13/2018 – Erwin l'Ami is a Dutch Grandmaster and well known DVD author for ChessBase. He's in Hamburg to record a DVD. He played the B-Group in Wijk aan Zee in January and also is a second to Anish Giri. Today he joins Karsten to look at some fascinating endgame from recent tournament praxis! Live at 15:00 CET (9:00 AM EST)!

2/13/2018 – Pawn endings often reveal how surprising and beautiful chess can be. But pawn endings also often reveal how complicated the game can be.

2/6/2018 – "All rook endings are drawn", is an often quoted witticism. However, things are not that simple. In fact, a lot of rook endings are won — provided the side that has an advantage knows what to do with this advantage. Which, of course, is easier said than done.

1/30/2018 – Endgames with opposite-coloured bishops are often drawn but these endgames are also often very attractive because often material is less important than piece activity. This leads again and again to interesting tactical turns.

1/23/2018 – Steinitz often emphasised the strength of the king. Of course, kings are particularly strong in the endgame because they are less vulnerable with fewer pieces on the board. But even if you can no longer mate the enemy king, you should keep a good eye on him.

1/20/2018 – There is an old saying about dwarves on the shoulders of giants, traced back to Bernard of Chartres 1120, said most pointedly by Sir Isaac Newton in his letter to Robert Hooke on 5th February 1676: “If I have seen further it is by standing on [the] shoulders of giants.” A historical narrative from our study author Sigfried Hornecker, who reminds us (among other things) not to confuse Troitzky with "Trotzky"!

1/16/2018 – In the endgame bishops are usually better equipped to fight against passed pawns than knights. After all, they are long-range pieces and not that easy to put into zugzwang. But bishops need room to manoeuvre.

1/9/2018 – It is nice if you can dominate and paralyse the enemy pieces. However, this alone often is not sufficient for a win. Particularly, if only a few pieces are left on the board. A nice example from a game of Timur Gareyev.

1/2/2018 – Some endgames look hopeless: the king cannot move, the pawns cannot advance and heavy material losses seem to be unavoidable. But sometimes, when everything seems to be lost, there is an escape.

12/27/2017 – Oh, the pawns! Every pawn is a potential queen but the way to the queening square is long and full of danger. "Zugzwang" and a powerful enemy rook are just two of them.

12/23/2017 – In the final episode of this year, we will have a look at a some great enthusiasts among the chess composition community who by their work directly or indirectly made this monthly column possible. The first two of them are the former and the current chief editor of the magazine "eg" (or: EG), short for "end-game".

12/19/2017 – "Do not rush!" is a well-known rule of thumb in the endgame. Indeed, in many endgames the direct way often is often a dead end. To know which way to go usually requires precise calculation.