The following games can be won:—
- King and Queen, or King and Rook, against a King.
- King and Queen against King and Rook.
- King and Queen against King and Bishop.
- King and Queen against King and Knight.
- King and Queen against King and Pawn.
- King and two Rooks against King and Rook.
- King and two Bishops against a King.
- King Bishop and Knight against a King.
In order to master all these endings, the student should take up Staunton’s Handbook, or the Lehrbuch des Schachspiels, in which they are given very fully. For the beginner only one or two of the most common and important are necessary.
K and Q, or K and R, against K. All that is necessary is to drive the King to the edge of the board, which may be done by holding him below a certain parallel with the Q or R, and then getting your own King in front of him; a check will then drive him one line further back, and when he arrives at the edge of the board, and can no longer go back, he is mated.
K and Q against K and R. Freeborough has devoted an entire volume to this ending, which may be very much prolonged by a skilful player. The object is to drive the King to the edge of the board, and then to get the Rook in such a position that it must be sacrificed to save the mate, or that the mate can be accomplished with the Rook on the board. The player with the Queen must be on his guard against stale-mate in this ending.
K and Q against K and B, K and Kt, or K and P. This is easy enough for the Queen if the player is careful to avoid stale-mate.
K and two R’s against K and R. This can be won easily by forcing an exchange of Rooks.
K and two B’s against K. In this position the King must be ruled off into a corner by getting the Bishops together, protected by their King. Start with the men in the following position:—
Black K on his own square. White King on K B 6; white Bishops on K B 4 and K B 5. White to move and win. The mate can be accomplished in six moves, as follows:—