How to End a Chess Game

Chess players divide games into a beginning, middle and an end. The line of when the middle game turns into the end game is blurry. Sometimes players define the end of a chess game by the number and types of pieces that remain. Yet the goal of both players is the same--to put the opponent's King into checkmate.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

1. Move remaining pawns down the board to break through your opponent's defense. Capturing your opponent's pawns weakens his defense.

2. Control the center of the board throughout the game, but particularly near the end of a chess game. If you control the center, you can be the aggressor and force your opponent to react only to your moves.

3. Advance a remaining rook into a central vertical file to keep your opponent's King restricted. Next to a Queen, a rook is most powerful.

4. Capture your opponent's rooks. It's very difficult to place someone in check without a rook involved.

5. Begin moving your King. While you spend most of the game defending your King, the end of the game means fewer threats due to fewer pieces. A King can even become part of your strategy to put the other side in check.

6. Box in your opponent's King. As you put the King in check, your opponent must move his King. Keep following him, forcing him to move one square at a time. If you've adequately set up your chess pieces for the end of the game, you can effectively surround your opponent's King and put him in checkmate.

Tips & Warnings

• One danger of the end of a chess game is falling into a stalemate. Nobody wins in a stalemate, also known as a draw. In a stalemate, you can put a player in check, but never checkmate because he can always move his King one square to safety.