Editing Chess endgame (section)

==General considerations==
Generally, the player having a material advantage tries to exchange pieces but avoids exchanging pawns in the endgame. Some exceptions to this are:

# Endings in which both sides have two [[Rook (chess)|rooks]] and some pawns – the player with more pawns should not exchange a pair of rooks
# Endings in which both sides have [[Bishop (chess)|bishops]] on opposite colors with other pieces – the stronger side should avoid exchanging the other pieces
# Endings in which all the pawns are on the same side of the board – the stronger side should try to create a passed pawn by exchanging pawns

Usually, endings with pawns on both sides of the board are easier to win and the first player to promote a pawn to a queen wins if the opponent is unable to do so on the turn immediately after.<ref>{{Harvcol|Dvoretsky|Yusupov|2008|p=134}}</ref>

[[Max Euwe]] and Walter Meiden give these five generalizations:
# In king and pawn endings, an extra pawn is decisive in more than 90 percent of the cases.
# In endgames with pieces and pawns, an extra pawn is a winning advantage in 50 to 60 percent of the cases. It becomes more decisive if the stronger side has a positional advantage.
# The king plays an important role in the endgame.
# [[Initiative (chess)|Initiative]] is more important in the endgame than in other phases of the game. In rook endgames, the initiative is usually worth at least a pawn.
# Two [[connected pawns|connected]] passed pawns are very strong. If they reach their sixth rank, they are as powerful as a rook.<ref>{{Harvcol|Euwe|Meiden|1978|pp=xvi–xvii}}</ref>