Icannos/chess_studies huggingface dataset:
[Event "Kasparov - Anand PCA World Championship Match"]
[Site "New York, NY USA"]
[Date "1995.09.28"]
[Round "11"]
[White "Viswanathan Anand"]
[Black "Garry Kasparov"]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/LeninPerez"]
[ECO "B78"]
[Opening "Sicilian Defense: Dragon Variation, Yugoslav Attack"]
[UTCDate "2021.01.27"]
[UTCTime "18:35:04"]
[Variant "Standard"]

{ Now I will show you some illustrative games that will help you understand the Sicilian Dragon MUCH BETTER.
Let's start with this game, in which Kasparov with black pieces, faces Anand, who manages the white pieces.
(Pay close attention to these games if you want to improve your game.) } 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6 6. Be3 Bg7 7. f3 O-O 8. Qd2 Nc6 9. Bc4 { As you already know, this is the Yugoslav Attack.
The favorite weapon of chess players against the Sicilian Dragon. } 9... Bd7 10. O-O-O Ne5 11. Bb3 Rc8 12. h4 h5 13. Kb1 Nc4 14. Bxc4 Rxc4 15. Nde2 b5 16. Bh6 Qa5 17. Bxg7 Kxg7 18. Nf4 Rfc8 19. Ncd5 Qxd2 20. Rxd2 Nxd5 21. Nxd5 Kf8 22. Re1 Rb8 23. b3 Rc5 24. Nf4 Rbc8 25. Kb2 a5 26. a3 Kg7 27. Nd5 Be6 28. b4 axb4 29. axb4 Rc4 30. Nb6 Rxb4+ 31. Ka3 Rxc2 { 0-1 White resigns. } 0-1
[Event "Aerosvit"]
[Site "Foros UKR"]
[Date "2008.06.15"]
[Round "7"]
[White "Liviu Dieter Nisipeanu"]
[Black "Magnus Carlsen"]
[Result "0-1"]
[Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/LeninPerez"]
[ECO "B70"]
[Opening "Sicilian Defense: Dragon Variation, Classical Variation"]
[UTCDate "2021.01.27"]
[UTCTime "18:35:46"]
[Variant "Standard"]

{ The second game is from current world champion Magnus Carlsen, who handles the black pieces.
Attentive to the movements Magnus makes in this game :) } 1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6 6. Be2 { As you already know this is the Classical Variation.
It is quieter than the other variations } 6... Bg7 7. O-O Nc6 8. Nb3 O-O 9. Kh1 a6 10. f4 b5 11. Bf3 Bb7 12. a4 b4 13. Nd5 Nxd5 14. exd5 Na5 15. c3 bxc3 16. bxc3 Rc8 17. Rb1 Ba8 18. Nd2 Nc4 19. Nxc4 Rxc4 20. Bd2 Qa5 21. Qe1 Bxd5 22. Be2 Qxa4 23. Bxc4 Bxc4 24. Rf2 e6 25. Be3 Bd5 26. Rfb2 Qe4 27. Qd2 h5 28. Bd4 Bh6 29. Be3 a5 30. Rb8 Kh7 31. h3 Rxb8 32. Rxb8 Bg7 33. Bd4 Bxd4 34. cxd4 a4 35. Kh2 a3 36. Rb4 a2 37. Ra4 Qb1 { 0-1 White resigns. } 0-1
[Event "游낼 Sicilian Dragon 游낼: Practice the Sicilian Dragon!"]
[Site "https://lichess.org/study/AvqP0tL1/M6m0SyUZ"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "?"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/LeninPerez"]
[ECO "B70"]
[Opening "Sicilian Defense: Dragon Variation"]
[UTCDate "2021.01.27"]
[UTCTime "18:16:53"]
[Variant "Standard"]

1. e4 { You have reached the final part of the study! Thank you very much for being here!
To make studying even more fun, I will give you an "exam" of the Sicilian Dragon.
What should your first move be? } 1... c5 { This is the Sicilian Defense :D } 2. Nf3 d6 { That's! } 3. d4 { What should you do now? } 3... cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 { And now? } 5... g6 { Very well! The Sicilian Dragon is the most aggressive way to play the Sicilian Defense. If you are a tactical player, and you like to cause chaos on the board, you should play this defense.
Show that you love the Sicilian Defense and the Dragon Variation by pressing the one below the board! If this study is supported, I will continue to do much more of the Sicilian Defense.
Thank you very much for watching, I'm LeninPerez, and we'll see you in a next study! } *
[Event "KIA shell: 1. KIA"]
[Site "https://lichess.org/study/m57bcs2Y/UPzoNVIr"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "?"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/Nightro_G"]
[ECO "A04"]
[Opening "Zukertort Opening"]
[UTCDate "2021.01.20"]
[UTCTime "18:27:37"]
[Variant "Standard"]

{ Welcome to another brief opening lesson! This study intended for beginning players looking to play a reliable system as white without having to memorize too much.

Playing the King's Indian Attack (KIA) means you aren't trying to steamroll your opponent right away. Instead, it brings out the pieces in a way that makes sense, almost regardless of what black does.

Play the move marked by an arrow. I will ask you to repeat these moves without my help as the lesson goes on. [%csl Gf3][%cal Gg1f3] } 1. Nf3 { You are ready to begin our journey. Nf3 is an important move in that it stops an immediate ...e5.
It's worth noting that if you like this opening, you may be interested in the King's Indian Defense (KID), but that opening is vastly more complicated. [%csl Re5][%cal Re7e5,Rd6f4,Rf6d4,Rf4d6,Rd4f6] } *
[Event "KIA shell: 2. Basic Development"]
[Site "https://lichess.org/study/m57bcs2Y/Yx3FDchJ"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "?"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/Nightro_G"]
[ECO "A05"]
[Opening "King's Indian Attack"]
[UTCDate "2021.01.20"]
[UTCTime "18:27:50"]
[Variant "Standard"]

{ Play our beginning move. } 1. Nf3 d5 { Next we play the key component of the KIA -- a kingside fianchetto. [%csl Gg3][%cal Gg2g3] } 2. g3 Nf6 { By the way, you may notice me change the order of black's moves here and there. Don't worry! Many of the positions you see will transpose. It is more important to know the basic plans for white.
Complete the fianchetto to advance. [%csl Gg2][%cal Gf1g2] } 3. Bg2 { It may occur to you that this bishop is presently blocked by white's f3-knight. That knight will move some time! But this bishop will have its day if it ever safely goes to e4, and sometimes it can later drop back to f1 to reroute or play defense. [%csl Gf3][%cal Gg2f3,Yg2e4,Yg2f1] } 3... c5 { And now the final piece of kingside development. You get to castle on move 4 in this opening, a feature not to be underrated. [%csl Gg1][%cal Ge1g1] } 4. O-O { I once had a student who played this formation every game, for no other reason than it looks cool. } *
[Event "KIA shell: 3. The Battle of e4"]
[Site "https://lichess.org/study/m57bcs2Y/evOULYMk"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "?"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/Nightro_G"]
[ECO "A05"]
[Opening "King's Indian Attack"]
[UTCDate "2021.01.20"]
[UTCTime "18:28:01"]
[Variant "Standard"]

{ Start off with those first 4 moves you learned. } 1. Nf3 Nf6 2. g3 d5 3. Bg2 c6 4. O-O { Great! Now we move to the second phase of operations, and fight to play e4.
It's important that we find a way to strike at the center, and to be able to open a file for our rooks later on. } 4... Bf5 { Black meanwhile has adopted a strategy of trying to control the critically important e4 square. Now white will counter this by developing their queenside forces in a way to support e2-e4. It starts with d3. [%csl Re4,Gd3][%cal Rf6e4,Rf5e4,Rd5e4,Gd2d3] } 5. d3 e6 { Next, this knight comes to d2, where it supports e4. [%cal Gb1d2] } 6. Nbd2 h6 { This next move is a little surprising and unusual if you are new to chess, but this queen move is the most played by masters! We support e4 with a powerful piece. [%csl Ge1][%cal Gd1e1] } 7. Qe1 { Why put the queen here, and not the rook? It's because when you play e4, in some lines black may interfere with your plans by trading queens after the pawns. [%cal Rf1e1] } 7... Be7 { Now, with three defenders, you can finally play e4! [%csl Ge4][%cal Ge2e4] } 8. e4 { Good. Now let's check to see what you remember. } *
[Event "KIA shell: 4. A Useful Trick to Know"]
[Site "https://lichess.org/study/m57bcs2Y/5HuXqYTA"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "?"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/Nightro_G"]
[ECO "A05"]
[Opening "King's Indian Attack"]
[UTCDate "2021.01.20"]
[UTCTime "18:28:39"]
[Variant "Standard"]

{ Now you must play the moves from your memory. But I will also throw in a common beginner mistake you can punish easily. } 1. Nf3 Nf6 2. g3 d5 3. Bg2 c6 4. O-O Bf5 { Good so far. Now execute the queenside plan. } 5. d3 e6 6. Nbd2 Bd6 { This move is considered inaccurate, though it looks fine at first. White should still play the same move here -- let's see if you remember this unusual-looking move. [%csl Rd6][%cal Rf8d6] } 7. Qe1 { Good. Now white's e4 threat is very powerful because black's bishop is on d6. } 7... O-O { Black still had time to save the day, but now is in a losing position on move 7. [%csl Rg8,Ge4][%cal Re8g8,Ge2e4] } 8. e4 { Here comes this break! But you will win a piece because you will next play e4-e5. } 8... dxe4 { Recapture with the pawn, this preserves your threat. [%csl Ge4][%cal Gd3e4] } 9. dxe4 Bg6 { Now you play e5, and black will be down a minor piece. [%csl Ge5][%cal Ge4e5] } 10. e5 Bxe5 { If you're brand new to chess -- you should know that losing a bishop or a knight like this is a big deal and should cost the game. [%csl Ge5][%cal Gf3e5] } 11. Nxe5 { White should win without great difficulty. } *
[Event "KIA shell: 5. What if they go ...e5?"]
[Site "https://lichess.org/study/m57bcs2Y/wW4Tilic"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "?"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/Nightro_G"]
[ECO "A05"]
[Opening "King's Indian Attack"]
[UTCDate "2021.01.20"]
[UTCTime "18:28:50"]
[Variant "Standard"]

{ Now will we consider a different idea for black. What if they play for ...e5 in the style of the white side of the King's Indian Defense? Your starting moves remain the same. } 1. Nf3 Nf6 2. g3 d5 3. Bg2 c5 4. O-O Nc6 5. d3 e5 { Now black has adopted a reasonable setup, seizing a lot of space in the center. But it comes at a cost-- control of e4. You should play that right now, even though it looks like black can win that pawn! [%csl Ge4][%cal Ge2e4] } 6. e4 { This strike at the center is very important. } 6... dxe4 { It seems like black is winning a pawn here. Do not worry, your bishop on g2 will become the hero! [%csl Ge4][%cal Gd3e4,Rf6e4] } 7. dxe4 Qxd1 { You don't mind this trade of queens at all. [%csl Gd1][%cal Gf1d1] } 8. Rxd1 Nxe4 { This move doesn't work here as you can just win the pawn back! Black should have gone ...Bg4. [%csl Ge5][%cal Gf3e5] } 9. Nxe5 { Your bishop has become a beast! [%csl Be4,Bc6][%cal Bg2e4,Be4c6] } 9... Nxe5 { [%csl Ge4][%cal Gg2e4] } 10. Bxe4 { White enjoys a great position, better developed for the endgame than black. } *
[Event "KIA shell: 6. What if they go ...e5 but don't take on e4?"]
[Site "https://lichess.org/study/m57bcs2Y/V0u8nZcr"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "?"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/Nightro_G"]
[ECO "A05"]
[Opening "King's Indian Attack"]
[UTCDate "2021.01.20"]
[UTCTime "18:29:05"]
[Variant "Standard"]

{ I will make you play all these moves, you know. } 1. Nf3 d5 2. g3 Nf6 3. Bg2 c5 4. O-O Nc6 5. d3 e5 { Now remember, you can play our key idea against this right away. } 6. e4 d4 { Now black has committed to locking the center. Our next move is surprising but strong! [%csl Ga4][%cal Ga2a4] } 7. a4 { Why this move? Because we control b5, and now we're making sure our knight can plant itself on c4. Plan A is to go through a3, but also you can consider Nbd2 still. [%cal Gb1a3,Ga3c4,Yb1d2,Yd2c4,Rb7b5] } 7... Be7 { [%csl Ga3][%cal Gb1a3] } 8. Na3 O-O { [%csl Gc4][%cal Ga3c4] } 9. Nc4 { Black's position is now rather difficult to play, and you have schemed a way to focus on e5. Let's see an example of further play. [%cal Gc4e5,Gf3e5] } 9... Qc7 { Now your next idea is to play f2-f4. You start with Ne1. You will probably return that knight to f3 after you get f4 in. [%csl Ge1][%cal Gf3e1] } 10. Ne1 Nd7 { Now you can play this strong idea. [%csl Gf4][%cal Gf2f4] } 11. f4 b6 { Now you finish our plan and return the knight to f3. [%csl Gf3][%cal Ge1f3] } 12. Nf3 { We will stop here and leave you with this pleasant position, where you exert a lot of pressure on e5. } *
[Event "KIA shell: 7. Back to that exchange on e4 line."]
[Site "https://lichess.org/study/m57bcs2Y/yg9rqyOJ"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "?"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/Nightro_G"]
[ECO "A08"]
[Opening "King's Indian Attack: French Variation"]
[UTCDate "2021.01.20"]
[UTCTime "18:29:18"]
[Variant "Standard"]

{ I must alert you to an important idea that can be played against you in the reverse-KID. } 1. Nf3 d5 2. g3 c5 3. Bg2 Nc6 4. O-O e5 5. d3 Nf6 6. e4 { Here, remember, black can choose between ...dxe4, ...d4, or neither. } 6... dxe4 7. dxe4 Qxd1 8. Rxd1 { You are ready to meet ...Nxe4 with Nxe5, remember. } 8... Bg4 { Now black intends to hurt your feelings with ...Nd4. You must stop this idea. [%csl Gc3][%cal Gc2c3] } 9. c3 Nxe4 { It looks like a disaster as you have lost a pawn. Fear not! You just need to not panic and know how to handle this. [%csl Gh3][%cal Gh2h3] } 10. h3 { First, we are asking the bishop to leave. If it does, we can play Nxe5 and be fine. } 10... Bxf3 { [%csl Gf3][%cal Gg2f3] } 11. Bxf3 { Now black has to make a decision to save this knight. Note you are not winning the pawn back right away! Instead, black will have to let a pawn go at some point, or suffer with their pieces tied up. } 11... Nf6 { Your next move starts the knight's journey to various good squares. [%csl Ga3][%cal Gb1a3,Ya3b5,Ya3c4] } 12. Na3 Be7 { To make this easier to play, you can ruin black's structure here. [%csl Gc6][%cal Gf3c6] } 13. Bxc6+ bxc6 { Your knight will triumphantly return to the center. [%csl Gc4][%cal Ga3c4] } 14. Nc4 Nd7 { Now your development will finish. [%csl Ge3][%cal Gc1e3] } 15. Be3 { We will stop here. White is down a pawn, but they are in a preferable position because of the range of their pieces, and that black's pawns are very weak and will fall one day. It is important to realize this is a fine way to play chess! } *
[Event "KIA shell: 8. Memory check!"]
[Site "https://lichess.org/study/m57bcs2Y/4YM9dEgv"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "?"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/Nightro_G"]
[ECO "A05"]
[Opening "King's Indian Attack"]
[UTCDate "2021.01.20"]
[UTCTime "18:29:45"]
[Variant "Standard"]

{ This is an attempt to confuse you, the reader. Let's see if you remember one of our previous ideas. } 1. Nf3 Nf6 2. g3 d5 3. Bg2 c6 4. O-O Bf5 { Oh, right-- the strategy where black tries to control e4. Do you remember what to do? } 5. d3 e6 6. Nbd2 Be7 7. Qe1 O-O 8. e4 { Good! You have made it so far. I will show you a sample of how to play against this strategy. } 8... dxe4 { Taking back with the pawn wins an extra move against the bishop. [%csl Ge4][%cal Gd3e4] } 9. dxe4 Bg6 { Now you will seek and destroy that bishop. [%csl Ge5][%cal Gf3e5] } 10. Ne5 Nbd7 { Finish this idea to gain a long-term advantage of the bishop pair, plus somewhat weakening black's castled king. [%csl Gg6][%cal Ge5g6] } 11. Nxg6 hxg6 { Next you must stop black from freeing their position by playing ...e5, so play e5 yourself. [%csl Ge5][%cal Ge4e5] } 12. e5 Nd5 { It may seem like we gave up the d5 square, but we can always play c4 and kick that knight away when it suits us.
Our last project here is to free up our rook and improving our queen. [%csl Ge2][%cal Ge1e2] } 13. Qe2 { We will stop here for now. White has a great position to work with and we can responsibly say we are out of the opening.
That's all for this study for now. I may put a couple more chapters in later! } *
[Event "ðŸ’¡ Chess Tips [ Part 2 ]: 11. Try to prevent the opponent from castling"]
[Site "https://lichess.org/study/vPP9B6ks/8Kvn31xO"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "?"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/Toxenory"]
[ECO "?"]
[FEN "r2qk2r/pp1b1pp1/2n1p2p/3pP3/P2Pn3/B2B4/2P1NPPP/R2QK2R w KQkq - 0 1"]
[Opening "?"]
[SetUp "1"]
[UTCDate "2016.08.10"]
[UTCTime "19:52:53"]
[Variant "Standard"]

{ If your opponent is waiting too long to castle, try to keep the enemy King even longer in the center.â™¦
One of the most common ways to do so is to control one of the squares serving as passage for the King (usually f1 or f8, when Kingside castling).â™¦
Most of the times itâ€™s worthwhile to sacrifice a pawn in order to keep the King in the center. [%csl Re8][%cal Ra3f8] } *
[Event "ðŸ’¡ Chess Tips [ Part 2 ]: 12. Dominate as much territory as possible"]
[Site "https://lichess.org/study/vPP9B6ks/r5v85gVq"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "?"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/Toxenory"]
[ECO "C02"]
[FEN "rnbqkbnr/ppp2ppp/4p3/3pP3/3P4/8/PPP2PPP/RNBQKBNR b KQkq - 0 1"]
[Opening "French Defense: Advance Variation"]
[SetUp "1"]
[UTCDate "2016.08.10"]
[UTCTime "19:55:52"]
[Variant "Standard"]

{ The player, who has an advantage in space, enables greater mobility to friendly pieces and can, therefore, transfer pieces from one side to the other with more flexibility.â™¦
On the other hand, the player in a more restricted position finds it difficult to maneuver pieces, which might be fatal if they are requested to defend the King. [%csl Ge5,Rf6,Rd6][%cal Ge4e5,Re5f6,Re5d6] } 1... c5 { [%csl Gd4][%cal Gb8c6,Gd8b6,Gg8e7,Ge7f5,Gg8h6,Gh6f5] } *
[Event "ðŸ’¡ Chess Tips [ Part 2 ]: 13. Advance pawns in order to conquer space"]
[Site "https://lichess.org/study/vPP9B6ks/py5DIH3J"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "?"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/Toxenory"]
[ECO "?"]
[FEN "rnbqkb1r/pp2pppp/2p2n2/3pP3/3P4/2N5/PPP2PPP/R1BQKBNR w KQkq - 0 1"]
[Opening "?"]
[SetUp "1"]
[UTCDate "2016.08.10"]
[UTCTime "19:58:19"]
[Variant "Standard"]

{ Although advancing pawns is the main resource to restrict the opponentâ€™s position, this rule should be considered carefully because the farer the pawns are from base position the harder it is to defend them.â™¦
Furthermore, each position advanced by a pawn creates weakness at its adjacent squares, which may be occupied by enemy pieces. [%cal Ge4e5] } *
[Event "ðŸ’¡ Chess Tips [ Part 2 ]: 14. As pawns advance they get more difficult to protect"]
[Site "https://lichess.org/study/vPP9B6ks/8XIpSXmN"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "?"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/Toxenory"]
[ECO "?"]
[FEN "rnb1kb1r/pp1p1ppp/4pn2/q3P3/3N4/8/PPP2PPP/RNBQKB1R w KQkq - 0 1"]
[Opening "?"]
[SetUp "1"]
[UTCDate "2016.08.10"]
[UTCTime "20:00:11"]
[Variant "Standard"]

{ â™¦ A weak pawn is one that is not defended by another pawn, which means, that it must be defended by pieces, when it is under attack. â™¦
Those pieces lose much of their effectiveness because they have to assume a defensive role, while enemy pieces get an active role. [%csl Re5][%cal Gd8a5,Ra5e5] } *
[Event "ðŸ’¡ Chess Tips [ Part 2 ]: 15. Place your pawns in the center"]
[Site "https://lichess.org/study/vPP9B6ks/gtCSGY4Z"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "?"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/Toxenory"]
[ECO "?"]
[FEN "rnbqkb1r/ppp1pppp/8/3n4/3PP3/8/PP3PPP/RNBQKBNR b KQkq - 0 1"]
[Opening "?"]
[SetUp "1"]
[UTCDate "2016.08.10"]
[UTCTime "20:02:10"]
[Variant "Standard"]

{ â™¦ The center of the chessboard consists of e4, e5, d4 and d5. The expanded center also includes the squares that form the c3, c6, f3 and f6 rectangle.
â™¦â™¦Pawns are the best units to create the center because, differently from pieces, they are not vulnerable to the attack of enemy pawns. [%csl Bd4,Be4][%cal Ge2e4,Re4d5] } *
[Event "ðŸ’¡ Chess Tips [ Part 2 ]: 16. Keep your pieces as close as possible to the center"]
[Site "https://lichess.org/study/vPP9B6ks/aYBIFYSh"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "?"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/Toxenory"]
[ECO "?"]
[FEN "r2qk2r/pp1bn1bp/2n1p1p1/1B1pP3/5B2/2N2N1P/PP3PP1/R2Q2KR w KQkq - 0 1"]
[Opening "?"]
[SetUp "1"]
[UTCDate "2016.08.10"]
[UTCTime "20:07:37"]
[Variant "Standard"]

{ â™¦ In the center, a piece controls more squares than anywhere else on the board. The Knight, for instance, may move to 8 different squares from the center while it has only 2 options when placed in corners.
â™¦ The control of the center is also important because it enables pieces to move rapidly from one side of the board to the other, and if your pieces move faster than the ones of your opponent, you have greater chances to create a successful attack. [%csl Gf3,Gf4,Gc3,Gb5,Gc6,Ye7,Yd7,Gg7] } *
[Event "ðŸ’¡ Chess Tips [ Part 2 ]: 17. When trading pawns, try to get yours as close as possible to the center"]
[Site "https://lichess.org/study/vPP9B6ks/gNHtepT2"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "?"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/Toxenory"]
[ECO "?"]
[FEN "rnbq1rk1/pp3pbp/3pPnp1/2p5/2P1PP2/2N2N2/PP4PP/R1BQKB1R w KQq - 0 1"]
[Opening "?"]
[SetUp "1"]
[UTCDate "2016.08.10"]
[UTCTime "20:11:07"]
[Variant "Standard"]

{ â™¦ If two of your pawns can retake the opponentâ€™s piece that previously captured one of your pieces, it is recommended to move the pawn that, at the end, will be closest to the center, since central pawns are more important than lateral ones. [%csl Bf7,Be6][%cal Bf7e6] } *
[Event "ðŸ’¡ Chess Tips [ Part 2 ]: 18. Control the center before attacking"]
[Site "https://lichess.org/study/vPP9B6ks/810GiD1X"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "?"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/Toxenory"]
[ECO "?"]
[FEN "2k2rnr/pppqb1pp/2b1pp2/3pP3/PP1P4/2P2N2/4NPPP/R1BQ1RK1 w Qk - 0 1"]
[Opening "?"]
[SetUp "1"]
[UTCDate "2016.08.10"]
[UTCTime "20:13:36"]
[Variant "Standard"]

{ â™¦ Successful attacks on the wings depend mostly on center control.
â™¦ Therefore, concern yourself with a strong and stable center before starting any lateral attack. [%csl Gd4,Ge5,Gd5,Ge6] } *
[Event "ðŸ’¡ Chess Tips [ Part 2 ]: 19. Pawns are the foundation of strategy"]
[Site "https://lichess.org/study/vPP9B6ks/OCowBWhC"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "?"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/Toxenory"]
[ECO "?"]
[FEN "6k1/pp3ppp/3pp3/2p5/2PPP3/2P5/P4PPP/6K1 w - - 0 1"]
[Opening "?"]
[SetUp "1"]
[UTCDate "2016.08.10"]
[UTCTime "20:16:52"]
[Variant "Standard"]

{ â™¦ The pawn structure is fundamental to any position, because it improves or reduces the effectiveness of pieces.
â™¦ In order to achieve good pawn conformation, all different kinds of weak pawns should be avoided: isolated, doubled, backward and hanging pawns. [%csl Gc4,Ge4,Gc3,Yc5,Yd6,Ye6,Gd4,Yb7,Ya2][%cal Gc3d4] } *
[Event "ðŸ’¡ Chess Tips [ Part 2 ]: 20. Pawn weakness is eternal"]
[Site "https://lichess.org/study/vPP9B6ks/Lrv9i4jo"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "?"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/Toxenory"]
[ECO "?"]
[FEN "r1bqk1nr/p1p2ppp/2p1p3/8/4P3/8/PPPN1PPP/R2QKB1R w KQkq - 0 1"]
[Opening "?"]
[SetUp "1"]
[UTCDate "2016.08.10"]
[UTCTime "20:19:07"]
[Variant "Standard"]

{ â™¦ While pieces can move to become more active, any deficiency in pawn structure is a long-term weakness.
â™¦ Therefore, if your opponent has weak pawns, you donâ€™t need to hurry to explore them. [%csl Yc7,Yc6,Ya7,Gf8] } *
[Event "More Endgames You Must Know!: Introduction"]
[Site "https://lichess.org/study/xtDSXkyi/wXLVBBXD"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "?"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/NoseKnowsAll"]
[ECO "?"]
[FEN "7k/7P/8/5KN1/8/8/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[Opening "?"]
[SetUp "1"]
[UTCDate "2021.06.27"]
[UTCTime "19:09:04"]
[Variant "Standard"]

{ Welcome to another instructive study by NoseKnowsAll. This interactive study is for intermediate players approximately 1500-2000 lichess, taking you through even more endgames to master. For those of you at the lower end of this rating range, take your time and try to see why other ideas may not work out. For those at the top, master these positions so you can nail them in blitz games!

Please check out the first two studies in this series before continuing. In particular, understanding of the beginner endgames will be assumed throughout this study.

* Beginner endgames you must know https://lichess.org/study/wukLYIXj
* Intermediate endgames you must know https://lichess.org/study/UsqmCsgC

When you're done be sure to check out the next study in this series: Advanced endgames you must know! https://lichess.org/study/UO2zqigQ

Throughout this study, I will also provide general endgame tips that these important endgames showcase. Whenever this general advice occurs, I'll write it just like this:

PRO TIP: Always bring your king up in the endgame!

If you find this study useful, please heart it and share it with any friends! } *
[Event "More Endgames You Must Know!: Sacrificing for king activity"]
[Site "https://lichess.org/study/xtDSXkyi/UsO5patU"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "?"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/NoseKnowsAll"]
[ECO "?"]
[FEN "8/8/1k3p2/5Pp1/KP4P1/8/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[Opening "?"]
[SetUp "1"]
[UTCDate "2021.06.27"]
[UTCTime "19:09:04"]
[Variant "Standard"]

{ We already know from basic opposition that if the only pawn on the board was the b pawn, white would be unable to make a queen - black has an easy draw by sitting in front of the b pawn and taking opposition if necessary. So what changes when we have more pawns on the board? } 1. b5 Kb7 ( 1... Kc5 $4 2. Ka5 $18 { Black shouldn't hand us opposition for free! Now the b pawn immediately queens. } ) 2. Ka5 Ka7 { Black regains the opposition and asks us what we are up to... } 3. b6+ Kb7 4. Kb5 Kb8 5. Kc6 Kc8 { Opposition again. The b pawn cannot queen. } 6. Kd6 $1 { The point of our play! We recognize that queening the b pawn is impossible, but we can use it as a distraction while our king makes a mad dash to the other side of the board and takes everything else! } 6... Kb7 7. Ke6 Kxb6 8. Kxf6 { This chapter is nothing more than further evidence that you have to bring your king up in the endgame at all costs - even a pawn or two. } 8... Kc6 9. Kxg5 $18 { The rest is trivial. We're queening at least one of our pawns, with checkmate soon to follow.
PRO TIP: The more pawns on the board, the more likely it is that the stronger side will be able to win. We've seen how hard it is to win with only one pawn left. But 3 against 2 is often much easier. 4 against 3 is easier still. } *
[Event "More Endgames You Must Know!: Freezing a pawn majority"]
[Site "https://lichess.org/study/xtDSXkyi/4ZziFqOE"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "?"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/NoseKnowsAll"]
[ECO "?"]
[FEN "8/8/2k3p1/1p6/1K6/6PP/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[Opening "?"]
[SetUp "1"]
[UTCDate "2021.06.27"]
[UTCTime "19:09:04"]
[Variant "Standard"]

{ We might think that white has an easy draw: "They simply push the kingside pawns to create a passed pawn, and while we run to the kingside to deal with it, white will win the b pawn." This concept is correct, but care must be taken when pushing a pawn majority. } 1. g4 $4 { But g4 here is a huge mistake. Let's see how to punish it! } ( 1. h4 $1 { Correct. } 1... Kd5 2. g4 Ke4 3. h5 gxh5 4. gxh5 Kf5 5. Kxb5 Kg5 6. Kc5 Kxh5 $10 { The previously-described plan put correctly into action. Draw. } ) 1... g5 $1 { Now we've frozen white's kingside pawn majority with only our g pawn. With the pawn majority crippled like this, we are already essentially up a pawn - the passed b pawn! } 2. Kc3 ( 2. h4 gxh4 3. g5 Kd5 $19 { Black enters the square of the g pawn. The h pawn will win the game. [%cal Gg5g8,Gg5d5,Gd5d8,Gd8g8] } ) 2... Kc5 3. Kb3 b4 4. Kb2 Kc4 5. Kc2 Kd4 $1 { We sacrifice the b pawn in order to win everything on the kingside, just as in chapter 2. } 6. Kb3 Ke4 7. Kxb4 Kf4 ( 7... Kf3 $4 { Care must always be taken in king and pawn endgames! } 8. h4 $3 gxh4 ( 8... Kxg4 9. hxg5 Kxg5 $10 ) 9. g5 $10 { And our king is outside the square of the g pawn! The best we can now hope for is a drawn queen vs queen endgame. For more practice on the rule of the square, please check out https://lichess.org/study/UsqmCsgC/0UNWhbnU. [%cal Gg5d5,Gd5d8,Gg5g8,Gg8d8] } ) 8. Kc4 Kg3 9. Kd4 Kxh3 10. Ke4 Kxg4 $19 { We will win by maintaining the opposition, as in https://lichess.org/study/wukLYIXj/2ru3TC7p. } *
[Event "More Endgames You Must Know!: Exercise 1: The ole' switcheroo"]
[Site "https://lichess.org/study/xtDSXkyi/wZ3dUlft"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "?"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/NoseKnowsAll"]
[ECO "?"]
[FEN "8/3k4/p7/3K3p/P6P/8/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[Opening "?"]
[SetUp "1"]
[UTCDate "2021.06.27"]
[UTCTime "19:09:04"]
[Variant "Standard"]

{ Winning this king and pawn endgame requires some precision, but no extra knowledge beyond what we've already learned. Put your skills to the test! } 1. a5 $1 { We use this pawn move to waste a tempo and show black that we have the opposition! } 1... Ke7 { I hope you considered how we were making progress if black played Kc7 instead. Taking opposition with Kc5 wouldn't have led to further progress after Kd7, repeating. } ( 1... Kc7 $5 { The other interesting try. Again, we run to the h pawn and are faster in the pawn race. } 2. Ke5 Kc6 3. Kf5 Kb5 4. Kg5 Kxa5 5. Kxh5 Kb5 6. Kg6 a5 7. h5 a4 8. h6 a3 9. h7 a2 10. h8=Q $18 { [%cal Gh8a1] } ) 2. Ke5 $1 ( 2. Kc6 $4 { Getting greedy and rushing towards the a pawn is not good enough. After Ke6! black takes the opposition and will lock us against our will on the a file in front of our a pawn! } 2... Ke6 3. Kb6 Kd6 4. Kxa6 Kc6 5. Ka7 Kc7 $10 ) 2... Kf7 ( 2... Kd7 $6 { Too easy. We are way too fast to queen the h pawn. } 3. Kf5 Kc6 4. Kg5 Kb5 5. Kxh5 Kxa5 6. Kg6 Kb5 7. h5 a5 8. h6 a4 9. h7 a3 10. h8=Q $18 ) 3. Kf5 $1 ( 3. Kf4 $4 { With Kf6, black regains the opposition from us and prevents us from snagging his vulnerable h pawn. } 3... Kf6 $10 ) 3... Kg7 { Opposition again forced black to keep giving ground. } ( 3... Ke7 $6 4. Kg5 Ke6 5. Kxh5 Kf5 6. Kh6 Kf6 7. h5 Kf7 8. Kg5 Kg7 9. Kf5 Kh6 10. Ke6 Kxh5 11. Kd6 Kg6 12. Kc6 Kf6 13. Kb6 Ke6 14. Kxa6 Kd7 15. Kb7 $18 ) 4. Kg5 Kh7 5. Kxh5 Kg7 { We've won the h pawn and maintained opposition, but as we know from the intermediate endgame study, this isn't always enough. How do we actually make further progress? } 6. Kg5 Kh7 7. Kf6 $1 $18 { Exactly! We abandon the h pawn in exchange for winning the a pawn.
Even Magnus Carlsen knows all about this technique! Here he is running circles around GM Daniel Naroditsky's king to secure the win: https://lichess.org/wLIkjU4x/black#97 } ( 7. Kh5 $6 { This simply repeats the position. How are you making progress? } ) ( 7. Kf5 { Just as good as the main line. Play Kf6 instead for the solution. } ) ( 7. Kf4 { Just as good as the main line. Play Kf6 instead for the solution. } ) *
[Event "More Endgames You Must Know!: Exercise 2: Unfreezing the pawn majority"]
[Site "https://lichess.org/study/xtDSXkyi/BGK7jVGE"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "?"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/NoseKnowsAll"]
[ECO "?"]
[FEN "8/1p2kp2/p3p2p/4P2P/1P4P1/P3K3/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[Opening "?"]
[SetUp "1"]
[UTCDate "2021.06.27"]
[UTCTime "19:09:04"]
[Variant "Standard"]

{ Black has done well to freeze our kingside pawn majority with his single h pawn. Also, they are threatening f6 in order to activate their king. Is there a way to win this seemingly blocked king and pawn endgame? } 1. g5 $3 ( 1. Kd4 $4 { A reasonable move, but after b5!, black is the one who's winning! Black's threat of f6 (breaking through to the weak g pawn) cannot be overlooked. } 1... b5 2. Kc5 f6 3. exf6+ Kxf6 4. Kb6 e5 5. Kxa6 e4 6. Kxb5 e3 7. a4 e2 8. a5 e1=Q $19 ) 1... hxg5 { Brilliantly timed. With this one move, we let black know that our kingside majority is not frozen at all! } 2. h6 $1 ( 2. Kf3 $4 { This move doesn't come with any threat. Black is able to play f5, either activating their king after exf6+ Kxf6 or gaining two connected passed pawns on the 5th rank. Black is now winning. } 2... f5 3. exf6+ Kxf6 $19 ) ( 2. Ke4 $4 { This move doesn't come with any threat. Black is able to play f5+, either activating their king after exf6+ Kxf6 or gaining two connected passed pawns on the 5th rank. Black is now winning. } ) 2... Kf8 { In actual fact, we have a passed h pawn. Black must play Kf8 to get inside the square of the h pawn. } 3. Kf3 Kg8 ( 3... f5 $6 { There is an easy win here. } 4. exf6 Kg8 5. Kg4 e5 6. Kxg5 e4 7. Kf4 $18 ) 4. Kg4 Kh7 5. Kxg5 { This is now a winning position, as we've transposed our previously-crippled kingside majority into a powerful passed pawn. } 5... b5 { Black holds firm, hoping we can't make further progress. What's the fastest way to win? } 6. Kf6 $1 ( 6. Kh5 $6 { Gaining opposition here only repeats the position after Kh8 Kg5. } ) 6... Kxh6 7. Kxf7 Kg5 8. Kxe6 $18 { We'll win the game with our passed e pawn. } ( 8. Ke7 $1 $18 { Also winning if you understand the "trebuchet" technique. Let's just win directly with Kxe6 instead. } ) *
[Event "More Endgames You Must Know!: Knights vs pawns"]
[Site "https://lichess.org/study/xtDSXkyi/liBhsKlz"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "?"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/NoseKnowsAll"]
[ECO "?"]
[FEN "4k3/8/4N3/5n1P/8/8/8/7K w - - 0 1"]
[Opening "?"]
[SetUp "1"]
[UTCDate "2021.06.27"]
[UTCTime "19:09:04"]
[Variant "Standard"]

{ PRO TIP: When playing endgames against knights, rook pawns are especially valuable because knights are terrible at dealing with them. This is often remembered with the phrase, "knights on the rim are grim."

The further up the board the pawn is, the more difficult it is for black to stop. Here, white has an easy win utilizing this fact! } 1. Ng7+ $1 Nxg7 2. h6 Kf7 ( 2... Ne6 3. h7 $18 { Imagine how tragic it would be if the white king was on g2 instead of h1... then Nf4+ Kg3 and Ng6 stops the h pawn in its tracks! Here though, it's impossible to cover h8 in one move. } ) 3. h7 $1 $18 { Promotion is unstoppable. We'll win this final position by following the pattern we learned in the other intermediate endgame study https://lichess.org/study/UsqmCsgC/AGJrweqW. [%cal Gh7h8] } *
[Event "More Endgames You Must Know!: The correct circuit: knight against rook pawn"]
[Site "https://lichess.org/study/xtDSXkyi/Iq7iPB5G"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "?"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/NoseKnowsAll"]
[ECO "?"]
[FEN "K7/8/5N2/8/8/7p/4k3/8 w - - 0 1"]
[Opening "?"]
[SetUp "1"]
[UTCDate "2021.06.27"]
[UTCTime "19:09:04"]
[Variant "Standard"]

{ White is up a knight against a pawn, but as we learned in the other intermediate endgame study, one knight alone is not enough to mate. So while white is up a piece, the white king is so far out of the game that in fact white is almost lost! The best chance is going for a draw by sacrificing our knight for the last remaining black pawn. [%cal Gh3h1] } 1. Ng4 $1 { The knight prepares to sacrifice itself if the h pawn pushes. } 1... Kf3 2. Nh2+ $1 { This knight move ensures that the knight reaches the so-called "correct circuit." Specifically, the knight needs to remain on the following highlighted squares in order to ensure the pawn cannot promote.
Let's explore black's different attempts to dislodge this knight and promote the h pawn to see why these four squares are so important... [%csl Bh2,Bf1,Be3,Bg4] } 2... Kg3 3. Nf1+ { [%csl Bf1,Bh2,Bg4,Be3] } 3... Kg2 { This looks hopeless now for white, right? } ( 3... Kf2 4. Nh2 $10 { No progress here. } ) 4. Ne3+ { No worries at all! White stays in this circuit with tempo, and can meet any king move with either Ng4 or Nf1 again, stopping the h pawn. [%csl Bf1,Be3,Bg4,Bh2] } 4... Kf2 5. Ng4+ { [%csl Be3,Bf1,Bh2,Bg4] } 5... Kg3 { Finally, black escapes the checks and forces the knight away from h2. Is this enough to finally promote the h pawn? } ( 5... Kf3 6. Nh2+ $10 { Returning to our original position. Black has made no progress. } ) 6. Ne3 $1 { No! White remains in the correct circuit, and continues blocking the h pawn from promoting! [%csl Be3,Bf1,Bg4,Bh2] } 6... h2 7. Nf1+ $1 Kg2 8. Nxh2 $10 { If the white knight can reach this circuit before the enemy h pawn has reached the 7th rank, then white has a draw.
To remember which squares make up the correct circuit, start from the 7th rank square on the pawn's file (in this case h2), visualize the knight move that reaches the 8th rank (in this case f1), and then complete the circuit by making two more knight moves (in this case e3 and g4). } *
[Event "More Endgames You Must Know!: When the knight is stronger than the pawn"]
[Site "https://lichess.org/study/xtDSXkyi/zJGzThGA"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "?"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/NoseKnowsAll"]
[ECO "?"]
[FEN "8/8/8/8/8/p2K4/k3N3/8 w - - 0 1"]
[Opening "?"]
[SetUp "1"]
[UTCDate "2021.06.27"]
[UTCTime "19:09:04"]
[Variant "Standard"]

{ While I personally haven't found this position that practical, it's still important to know that there are always exceptions to the rule, however rare they may be. Here, black's king is so poorly placed that for once, the knight is stronger than the rook pawn! } 1. Kc2 $1 { The black king is stuck on the a1 and a2 squares, and can only hope for a draw by stalemating himself. } 1... Ka1 2. Nc1 $1 { But we aren't interested in a draw anymore! By covering the a2 square with our knight, black is forced to push the pawn to a2, sealing their fate. } ( 2. Nc3 $4 a2 $10 { The knight can't possibly attack the a1 square in one move. Black escapes with a self-stalemate. } ) 2... a2 3. Nb3# { While a lone knight is not enough to checkmate, with a little help from an accidental ally, anything is possible.
In general, these rare positions are wins for white if the knight can move to the same color square as the black king. Since neither piece can triangulate, we need our knight to eventually attack the other color square (a2) to force black to push the pawn forward and self-mate. } *
[Event "More Endgames You Must Know!: An important knight fortress"]
[Site "https://lichess.org/study/xtDSXkyi/v8qylNgl"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "?"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/NoseKnowsAll"]
[ECO "?"]
[FEN "7k/7P/8/5KN1/8/8/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[Opening "?"]
[SetUp "1"]
[UTCDate "2021.06.27"]
[UTCTime "19:09:04"]
[Variant "Standard"]

{ Here's another example of why a rook pawn is the worst pawn to be left with. We're up a knight and a pawn, but the position is hopelessly drawn once again due to stalemate threats. } 1. Ke6 ( 1. Kg6 $10 { Stalemate! } ) 1... Kg7 { As is always the case here, black stays in the corner and there's no way for white to make progress without stalemating the black king. } 2. Kf5 ( 2. Ke7 Kh8 3. Kf7 $10 { Another stalemate! } ) ( 2. Nf7 { Controlling h8 loses the all-important pawn! } 2... Kxh7 $10 ) 2... Kh8 3. Kg4 Kg7 4. Kh5 Kh8 5. Kh6 $10 { We are simply not capable of defending the h pawn with our king without stalemating black's king. Therefore, our knight cannot move anywhere to let us control the h8 square and kick the enemy king out from this blockading square. If only we had activated our king first and not pushed the h pawn so far up the board! } *
[Event "More Endgames You Must Know!: Exercise 3: Reaching the correct circuit"]
[Site "https://lichess.org/study/xtDSXkyi/2eMdy0HJ"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "?"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/NoseKnowsAll"]
[ECO "?"]
[FEN "K7/8/8/5N2/8/7p/8/3k4 w - - 0 1"]
[Opening "?"]
[SetUp "1"]
[UTCDate "2021.06.27"]
[UTCTime "19:09:04"]
[Variant "Standard"]

{ Now it's your turn: what's the correct circuit and how do we get our knight there? } 1. Ne3+ $1 ( 1. Nh6 $4 { The correct idea (heading for g4), but too slow. Black pushes the h pawn to h2 and the knight cannot sacrifice itself in time to stop promotion. } ) ( 1. Ng3 $4 { Stopping h1 isn't enough to win. We have to stop h2! After h2, Kb7 Ke1, Kc6 Kf2, Nh1 Kg2, our knight is hopelessly trapped. } ) 1... Ke2 2. Ng4 Kf3 { Nice! our knight gets to the correct circuit just in time! h2 is now impossible unless the black king can disturb our knight from its circuit... } 3. Nh2+ Kg2 { Great job! Staying in the correct circuit holds the draw! } 4. Ng4 Kg3 5. Ne3 h2 6. Nf1+ Kg2 7. Nxh2 $10 { Black did not have to push the pawn to h2, but they were clearly not making any progress otherwise. Nice job nailing this concept!
Here's Magnus Carlsen explaining his understanding of a similar position: https://youtu.be/k1SCXb2WA2U?t=120 } *
[Event "More Endgames You Must Know!: Exercise 4: The power of the rook pawn"]
[Site "https://lichess.org/study/xtDSXkyi/Fv8iqNJp"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "?"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/NoseKnowsAll"]
[ECO "?"]
[FEN "8/1p3pkp/3n2p1/P2Bp3/8/6P1/5PKP/8 w - - 0 1"]
[Opening "?"]
[SetUp "1"]
[UTCDate "2021.06.27"]
[UTCTime "19:09:04"]
[Variant "Standard"]

1. Bxb7 $1 { Excellent! Black would be wise not to accept this Greek gift, as the passed a pawn will prove too strong. But Kf6, a6 Nb5, Bc6 Na7, Bd5 is hopeless as well - black is essentially down a piece trying to deal with this passed a pawn! } 1... Nxb7 ( 1... Kf6 2. a6 Nb5 3. Bc6 Na7 4. Bd5 Ke7 $18 ) 2. a6 Nd6 3. a7 Nb5 4. a8=Q $18 { This is another excellent example about how learning a few important endgames will open your mind to so many new possibilities! } *
[Event "More Endgames You Must Know!: Exercise 5: A draw or a win?"]
[Site "https://lichess.org/study/xtDSXkyi/so08LZU4"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "?"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/NoseKnowsAll"]
[ECO "?"]
[FEN "8/8/8/8/3N4/p7/k2K4/8 w - - 0 1"]
[Opening "?"]
[SetUp "1"]
[UTCDate "2021.06.27"]
[UTCTime "19:09:04"]
[Variant "Standard"]

{ It's clear that after Kc1 or Kc2, black has nothing better than a draw by moving their king back and forth between a1 and a2. But do we have better? } 1. Kc1 $1 ( 1. Kc2 $4 { This is only a draw! After Ka1 our knight is on the wrong color to eventually give mate! A sample line is: Ka1, Nb3+ Ka2, Nc1+ Ka1, Nb3+ Ka2= } 1... Ka1 2. Nb3+ Ka2 3. Nc1+ Ka1 4. Nb3+ Ka2 5. Nc1+ Ka1 $10 ) 1... Ka1 { That's right! We're going for a win! But what's the precise follow-up? } 2. Kc2 $1 Ka2 { Exactly! By triangulating now, we force the black king onto a light square. Now that our knight can move to the correct color, it's only a matter of time before we checkmate the black king in the corner... } 3. Ne2 ( 3. Nb3 $4 $10 { Oops. Don't get too hasty here and stalemate your opponent! } ) 3... Ka1 4. Nc1 $1 ( 4. Nc3 $4 { After a2, we no longer have a knight move that attacks the a1 square! } 4... a2 5. Na4 $10 ) 4... a2 { Excellent again! With a sequence of precise moves, the a2 square is covered, and black is forced to push the a pawn... } 5. Nb3# { I've personally never had the pleasure of playing such a checkmate in one of my games. Maybe one day! } *
[Event "More Endgames You Must Know!: Bishops vs pawns"]
[Site "https://lichess.org/study/xtDSXkyi/YURvl6Sa"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "?"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/NoseKnowsAll"]
[ECO "?"]
[FEN "8/4B3/8/6K1/8/8/p1k5/8 w - - 0 1"]
[Opening "?"]
[SetUp "1"]
[UTCDate "2021.06.27"]
[UTCTime "19:09:04"]
[Variant "Standard"]

{ Thankfully, bishops are much much better at stopping pawns than knights. Regardless of whether your opponent has a rook pawn, a central pawn, an active king, or our king is doing nothing to help, there's only one ingredient necessary to stop the pawn. } 1. Bf6 $1 { If the bishop can control the queening square (actually any square on the pawn's path to promotion), then it's an easy draw. } 1... Kb1 2. Bh8 { Our bishop can wait on correct diagonal forever. There is no progress. } 2... Kc2 3. Bg7 Kb1 4. Bf6 a1=Q 5. Bxa1 $10 *
[Event "More Endgames You Must Know!: Bishop against two pawns"]
[Site "https://lichess.org/study/xtDSXkyi/BG0MFRaQ"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "?"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/NoseKnowsAll"]
[ECO "?"]
[FEN "8/8/B3k3/4pp2/8/5K2/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[Opening "?"]
[SetUp "1"]
[UTCDate "2021.06.27"]
[UTCTime "19:09:04"]
[Variant "Standard"]

{ In fact, bishops are often a good match for two pawns as well. While there are many ways to draw this position as white, the following move shows black we know exactly what we're doing. } 1. Bd3 $1 { White willingly walks into a fork because black playing e4+ would instantly draw the game! } 1... Kf6 ( 1... e4+ 2. Bxe4 fxe4+ 3. Kxe4 $10 ) 2. Bb1 { All we have to do now is point our bishop at e4 and f5. Black must defend the f5 pawn with the king and so is unable to make progress. } 2... Kg5 3. Bd3 Kf6 { There was no progress on the kingside... } ( 3... f4 4. Be4 $1 { As soon as black places the pawns on the opposite color of our bishop, our king and bishop now form an impenetrable light-square blockade. The pawns will never move again: } 4... Kf6 5. Ba8 Kf5 6. Be4+ Kf6 7. Ba8 Ke6 8. Be4 Kd6 9. Ba8 Kc5 10. Be4 Kd4 11. Ba8 Kd3 12. Be4+ Kd4 $10 ) 4. Bb1 Ke6 5. Bd3 e4+ ( 5... Kd5 $2 6. Bxf5 $10 { There is no progress on the queenside either. } ) 6. Bxe4 fxe4+ 7. Kxe4 $10 { Eventually black has to admit that the game is a dead draw. } *
[Event "More Endgames You Must Know!: Bishop against three pawns?"]
[Site "https://lichess.org/study/xtDSXkyi/2q5DJTF5"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "?"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/NoseKnowsAll"]
[ECO "?"]
[FEN "8/8/4kp2/4p3/3p4/3B1K2/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[Opening "?"]
[SetUp "1"]
[UTCDate "2021.06.27"]
[UTCTime "19:09:04"]
[Variant "Standard"]

{ In fact, the bishop can sometimes be a match for 3 pawns as well. The key defensive technique here is that the pawns must remain firmly blockaded on a single diagonal. As long as we ensure black cannot push any of these pawns, the position is level. } 1. Kg4 $1 { Stopping f5 } 1... Kd5 2. Kf3 $1 { Stopping e4 } 2... Kd6 ( 2... Kc5 3. Bb1 Kb4 4. Bf5 ( 4. Bd3 $6 Kc3 5. Ke4 $4 { One of the few ways to lose while blockading these pawns: } 5... f5+ $3 6. Kxf5 Kxd3 $19 ) 4... Kc3 5. Ke2 $1 $10 { Stopping d3. No progress here either. } ) 3. Kg3 { If black isn't threatening to move any of the pawns, we can simply wait as well. } ( 3. Bb1 $10 { Just as fine of a waiting move. } ) ( 3. Ke4 $6 Ke6 { We're not able to blockade the f5 pawn push now. While this position is still a draw, white will have to scramble in order to regain the easy blockade we previously had. } 4. Bc4+ $1 Ke7 5. Kf5 $10 { [%csl Gf6] } ) 3... Ke6 4. Kg4 Kf7 5. Kf5 Ke7 6. Be4 $10 { The pawns remain blockaded on the b1-h7 diagonal. No progress can be made. } *
[Event "More Endgames You Must Know!: Exercise 6: Opposite-color bishops"]
[Site "https://lichess.org/study/xtDSXkyi/3rQ30cMS"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "?"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/NoseKnowsAll"]
[ECO "?"]
[FEN "8/b7/B3k3/4pp2/8/5K2/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[Opening "?"]
[SetUp "1"]
[UTCDate "2021.06.27"]
[UTCTime "19:09:04"]
[Variant "Standard"]

{ We just saw how strong a bishop is at defending against pawns, but surely giving our opponent an extra bishop is enough for them to make progress, right? Wrong! White has an easy draw here with the exact same drawing technique we just explored! } 1. Bd3 $3 { Exactly! By focusing on e4 and f5, black is tied down to defending the f5 pawn with the king. } ( 1. Bc4+ $1 $10 { Technically this move draws too as long as we find the correct follow-up... } ) 1... Kf6 2. Bb1 ( 2. Bc2 $10 { Just as good. Play Bb1 instead for the solution. } ) 2... Bc5 ( 2... f4 3. Be4 $10 { Just as before, our light-square blockade can not be disturbed. } ) 3. Bd3 ( 3. Bc2 $10 { Just as good. Play Bd3 instead for the solution. } ) 3... e4+ 4. Bxe4 fxe4+ 5. Kxe4 $10 { Our defensive task exists purely on the light squares. Even giving our opponent an extra dark squared bishop isn't enough to break our light square blockade. } *
[Event "More Endgames You Must Know!: The wrong-color bishop"]
[Site "https://lichess.org/study/xtDSXkyi/FlrkwDav"]
[Date "????.??.??"]
[Round "?"]
[White "?"]
[Black "?"]
[Result "*"]
[Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/NoseKnowsAll"]
[ECO "?"]
[FEN "7k/8/8/7P/5K2/8/2B5/8 w - - 0 1"]
[Opening "?"]
[SetUp "1"]
[UTCDate "2021.06.27"]
[UTCTime "19:09:04"]
[Variant "Standard"]

{ We've already seen this example before in the other study, but just to recap: if the black king can reach the corner square in front of the rook pawn, and the color of the bishop is opposite that of the queening square, black draws easily by simply staying in the corner. [%csl Rc2,Gh8] } 1. Kg5 Kg7 2. h6+ Kh8 3. Kg6 Kg8 4. Bb3+ Kh8 5. h7 $10 { No matter what we try, black stays in the corner for a draw. For a great example of what this means, see: https://lichess.org/study/UsqmCsgC/zyG2WNmK } *