Here are some useful rules and guidelines:

* Perhaps, one thing is to be mentioned separately. Generally, one should avoid pawn endings with a material disadvantage.

* Rule of a square: If a King enters the “square” of a pawn (geometrical figure), it’s usually able to stop the pawn’s promotion. While a simple rule, this is a very helpful one in positions that require four to five move calculations.

* Opposition: The most important rule for a pawn ending. It allows your King to keep the enemy King under wraps.

* One pawn fixes two: When one pawn can hold two enemy pawns, a player often creates a passed pawn on the other side of the board.

* When making a passed pawn (in cases when two pawns face one), move a pawn candidate (unless a concrete calculation shows the benefit of moving another).

* Calculate your actions very step of the way.

Let’s take a look at the following interesting endings:

Barza – Golombek, Budapest 1952 (variation)

White to play

White has an advantage here due to the weak pawn on d5. This situation will impair Black’s ability to move his King. White’s goal is to enter his opponent’s position here, and the kingside seems to be more vulnerable.

1.Ke3!

In the game, White actually played something else. After 1.Kd4 Kd6 2.b4, White hoped to eventually get to c5 or e5. However, after 2…b6 3.h4 h5 4.a4 a5 5.bxa5 bxa5 6.f4 (or 6.f3 Kc6 7.Ke5 Kc5 8.Kxf5 Kb4 9.e4 d4, and Black looks okay, as pointed out by Zlotnik), 6…g6 7.e3 Kc6 8.Ke5 Kc5 9.Kf6 Kc4! 10.Kxg6 Kd3 11.Kxf5 Kxe3 12.Kg5 d4 13.f5 d3 14.f6 d2 15.f7 d1=Q 16.f8=Q Qg4+, with a draw.

GM Igor Bondarevsky found the idea of 1.Ke3. White has good chances of getting to g5, where he will threaten the f5-pawn and support the advance of his h-pawn.

1…Kd6

Black moves his King to defend the kingside. Unfortunately for him, after 1…g5 2.h4 h6 3.hxg5 hxg5, while f4-square is secured, Black starts running pretty low on tempi. After 4.f4! g4 5.Kd4 Kd6 6.b4 b6 7.a4! White wins, since he has an extra tempo e2-e3. This will force the Black King to give up either the e5 or c5 square.

2.Kf4 Ke6 3.Kg5 Ke5

There are not that many options for Black. Obviously, moving the g- or h-pawn is bad due to the King’s attack against them. In case of 3…d4, White plays 4.f4! taking the f5-square away from Black. Now 4…g6 5.Kh6 Kd5 6.Kxh7 Ke4 7.Kxg6 Ke3 8.h4 Kxe2 9.h5 d3 10.h6 d2 11.h7 d1=Q 12.h8=Q, gives White a winning ending according to IM Zlotnik.

After 3…Ke5 White now has to wait.

4.a3 b5 5.b4 Ke4 6.h4 d4

Another possibility, 6…Ke5, is not better. After 7.h5 Ke4 8.h6, or 7…d4 8.f3 h6+ 9.Kg6 f4 10.g4, White wins.

7.h5 h6+ 8.Kg6 f4 9.gxf4 Kxf4 10.Kxg7 Kg5 11.f3! Kf4

Or 11…Kxh5 12.Kf6 Kh4 13.Ke5 Kg3 14.f4 h5 15.f5 h4 16.f6 h3 17.f7 h2 18.f8=Q h1=Q 19.Qf4+ Kg2 (19…Kh3 20.Qh6+) 20.Qe4+ Kh2 21.Qxh1+ Kxh1 22.Kxd4.

12.Kxh6 Ke3 13.Kg6 Kxe2 14.h6 d3 15.h7 d2 16.h8=Q d1=Q 17.Qe5+ Kf2

Not 17…Kxf3?? 18.Qh5+ winning the Black Queen.

18.f4, 1-0.

The Queen ending is won for White.

Amos Burn - Rubinstein, Breslau 1912

Black to play

Although material is even here, Black has a passed pawn on the wing. In such cases, a passed pawn is used as a decoy to distract the opponent’s King, while the stronger side’s King attacks the helpless pawns on the other side of the board.

1…Ka5!

Perhaps the most accurate move. In case of 1…Kc7? 2.Kd3 Kd6 3.Kc3 Ke6 4.Kb4 Kf5 5.d5 cxd5 6.cxd5 Kxg5 7.Ka5! White is just fine.

Another idea, 1…a5, also wins, since 2.Kd3 a4 3.Kc2 (3.Kc3 Ka5 4.d5 cxd5 5.cxd5 Kb5 6.d6 Kc6 wins for Black) 3…Ka5, and here 4.Kc3 a3 5.Kb3 a2 6.Kxa2 Kb4 7.d5 cxd5 8.cxd5 Kc5 9.Kb3 Kxd5 wins the game.

2.Kd3

Here 2.d5 cxd5 3.cxd5 Kb5 4.Kd3 Kc5 5.Ke4 Kd6 (not 5…a5?? 6.Ke5!) 6.Kd4 a5 is obviously in Black’s favor and leads to a position similar to that in the game.

2…Kb4 3.d5

The only move, since White is in a zugzwang.

3…cxd5 4.cxd5 Kc5 5.Ke4 Kd6 6.Kd4 a5

Now the a-pawn will distract the White King while Black’s will go to the kingside.

7.Kc4 a4 8.Kb4 Kxd5 9.Kxa4 Ke5 10.Kb4 Kf4 11.Kc4 Kxg5 12.Kd3 Kf4 13.Ke2 Kg3, 0-1.

The following game was drawn, but it had some interesting moments.

Lowcki – Rubinstein, Warsaw, 1916

Black to move

The obvious assessment of this situation is a draw. While this may be true, it’s not so easy to get there. Black has a bit of an upper hand, due to a space advantage. After 1…Ke5 2.Kf3 Kf5 3.Ke2 Ke4 4.Kf2 the position would repeat itself. Rubinstein finds an interesting attempt to play for a win, although just a little. The only way it can happen if Black wins the h3-pawn.

1…f3! 2.gxf3+ Kf4

Black takes the opposition! Now the obvious 3.Kg2? Ke3 4.f4 loses to 4…Kxf4 5.Kf2 Ke4 6.Ke2 Kd4 7.Kf3 Kc4 8.Ke4 (8.Kg4 Kb4 9.Kxh4 Kxa4 10.Kg5 Kb3 11.h4 a4 12.h5 a3 13.h6 a2 14.h7 a1=Q) 8…Kb4 9.Kd4 Kxa4 10.Kc4 Ka3 11.Kc3 a4 12.Kc2 Kb4 13.Kb2 Kc4, and Black marches back to pick up the h3-pawn.

3.Ke2! Kg3 4.Ke3 Kxh3 5.Kf2! Kh2 6.f4

Suddenly it looks like White may even be winning!? Not really.