--- title: "King and pawn endgame in chess" url: "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/king-and-pawn-endgame.md" canonical_url: "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/king-and-pawn-endgame" last_updated: "2026-11-07" type: "reference" summary: "A king and pawn endgame is an ending in which only kings and pawns remain, so the result depends on promotion races, king placement, opposition." related: ["https://georgelichess.com/glossary/opposition.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/key-squares.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/rule-of-the-square.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/triangulation.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/passed-pawn.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/king-activity.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary/category/endgames.md", "https://georgelichess.com/glossary.md"] --- # King and pawn endgame in chess > **For AI agents:** the complete index of GeorgeLiChess pages is [llms.txt](https://georgelichess.com/llms.txt). Every page is also served as markdown at its URL plus .md. A king and pawn endgame is an ending in which only kings and pawns remain, so the result depends on promotion races, king placement, opposition. A king and pawn endgame is an ending in which only kings and pawns remain, so the result depends on promotion races, king placement, opposition, and exact counting of moves. With no other pieces left, the kings and pawns carry the whole game, and every move counts. These endings are often the most precise in chess, because a single tempo decides whether a pawn promotes or is stopped. The king must be active, so bring it toward the center and toward the pawns that matter. Three tools come up constantly: the [opposition](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/opposition.md), which decides who must give way when kings face each other; [key squares](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/key-squares.md), which tell you where your king must stand to guarantee that a pawn promotes; and the [rule of the square](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/rule-of-the-square.md), which tells you whether a king can catch a runaway pawn. Pawn endings also reward an eye for [breakthroughs](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/pawn-breakthrough.md) and for the creation of a [passed pawn](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/passed-pawn.md) on the wing where the opponent king is far away. Many games land here when the last pieces come off, and that trade cannot be taken back, so work out the pawn ending to its end before you enter it. Also remember the exceptions: an [edge pawn](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/rook-pawn.md) on the a or h file is much harder to win with, since the defending king can reach the corner. Also called: pawn endgame. ## Example position White to move. White's king stands on e6, a key square on the sixth rank directly in front of its pawn, so White wins whoever is to move, for example 1.Kd6 Kd8 2.e6 Ke8 3.e7 Kf7 4.Kd7. Position (FEN): `4k3/8/4K3/4P3/8/8/8/8 w - - 0 1` It sits close to [Diagonal opposition](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/diagonal-opposition.md). Diagonal opposition is the standoff in which the two kings sit on the same diagonal with exactly one empty square between them, so the king that has to move must give ground. Compare it with [Knight endgame](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/knight-endgame.md). A knight endgame is an ending in which each side has a knight and pawns, where king activity and the pawn count usually decide the result, and where the slow, short-range knight makes the plan harder than in a bishop ending. Also worth reading is [Same-colored bishops](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/same-colored-bishops.md). Same-colored bishops are bishops that move on the same shade of squares, so they can challenge, exchange and defend against each other, and an extra pawn is usually much easier to convert than with opposite colors. If "King and pawn endgame" has cost you half a point, a [first lesson](https://georgelichess.com/book/first-lesson.md) is a good place to find the pattern behind it: George Li goes through your games and builds a plan. ## Related terms - [Opposition](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/opposition.md) - [Key squares](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/key-squares.md) - [Rule of the square](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/rule-of-the-square.md) - [Triangulation](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/triangulation.md) - [Passed pawn](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/passed-pawn.md) - [King activity](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/king-activity.md) ## Guides that go further - [How to choose a chess coach](https://georgelichess.com/how-to-choose-a-chess-coach.md): What to decide first, the questions to ask, what a first lesson should show and the red flags to avoid. - [How much does chess coaching cost?](https://georgelichess.com/chess-coaching-cost.md): Published rates for private, group and subscription chess coaching, with the source and the date of each. - [The first lesson](https://georgelichess.com/book/first-lesson.md): A game review, a read on your level and a written study plan from George Li. [Book your first lesson](https://georgelichess.com/book.md) and George Li reviews your games and builds a study plan around them. Questions about lessons: write to hello@georgelichess.com. ## Related - [Opposition in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/opposition.md) - [Key squares in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/key-squares.md) - [Rule of the square in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/rule-of-the-square.md) - [Triangulation in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/triangulation.md) - [Passed pawn in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/passed-pawn.md) - [King activity in chess](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/king-activity.md) - [Chess terms: Endgames](https://georgelichess.com/glossary/category/endgames.md) - [Chess terms glossary: plain definitions](https://georgelichess.com/glossary.md)