Endgame Training Plan
Most chess players study openings obsessively and ignore endgames completely. This is backwards. A structured endgame training plan will improve your results faster than any other type of study. This guide gives you the exact roadmap.
Phase 1: Fundamentals (Weeks 1-4)
- Opposition, learn direct and distant opposition.
- Rule of the Square, instant pawn-catching assessment.
- Lucena position, the most important rook endgame technique.
- Philidor position, the standard drawing method.
- King activity, centralise the king immediately.
Phase 2: Piece endgames (Weeks 5-8)
- Rook endgames, the most common type.
- Bishop endgames, same-colour vs opposite-colour.
- Knight endgames, blockade and outpost techniques.
- Queen endgames, perpetual check awareness.
Phase 3: Advanced concepts (Weeks 9-12)
Daily practice
Solve 5 endgame puzzles daily. Play one endgame position against the computer per day. After every game, review the endgame, would you play it differently now? Study one master endgame from the legends database per week.