The Canonical Chess Endgame Atlas

All 25 Syzygy-Verified Endgame Halls

• T01 · Ladder Mate (Lawnmower Checkmate) (Q+R / 2R vs K) — Alternate your two heavy pieces rank by rank like climbing a ladder—one slices the escape rank while the other delivers mate.
• T02 · King & Queen vs King Checkmate (K+Q vs K) — Keep your Queen a knight’s move from the enemy King to shrink the box; once the King hits the corner, leave one breathing square before walking your King in.
• T03 · King & Rook vs King Box Checkmate (K+R vs K) — Slice off files or ranks with your Rook first, bring your King up, and wait for direct King opposition before forcing the enemy King back a rank.
• T04 · Two Bishops Checkmate (K+2B vs K) (K+2B vs K) — Place your two Bishops side by side to form an impenetrable double-diagonal barrier, then shepherd the lone King into any corner with your King.
• T05 · Bishop & Knight Checkmate (Deletang & W-Maneuver) (K+B+N vs K) — Checkmate only exists in a corner matching your Bishop’s square color (here light squares a8 or h1); swing the Knight in a W-path to seal dark escape squares.
• T06 · Rule of the Square in Pawn Endgames (K+P vs K) — Draw a diagonal from the passed pawn to the promotion rank to form a square: if the defending King cannot step inside on its turn, the pawn queens.
• T07 · Direct & Distant Opposition in Pawn Endgames (K+P vs K) — When Kings stand on the same file or rank with an odd number of squares between them, the player who just moved holds the opposition and forces retreat.
• T08 · Key Squares & King Outflanking (K+P vs K) — Lead with your King, never the pawn: once your King steps onto any of the three key squares two ranks ahead of a 2nd–4th rank pawn (d6, e6, f6 for e4), victory is guaranteed.
• T09 · Rook-Pawn & Knight-Pawn Stalemate Draws (K vs K+a/h-P) — Against an a- or h-pawn, race your King either into the promotion corner (a8/h8) OR onto f7/f8 (c7/c8) to lock the enemy King inside the corner.
• T10 · Outside Passed Pawn & Pawn Breakthroughs (K+Ps vs K+Ps) — Use an outside passed pawn (or pawn sacrifice breakthrough) as a magnet to drag the enemy King to the wing, then harvest the remaining pawns.
• T11 · Corresponding Squares, Triangulation & Zugzwang (K+Ps vs K+Ps) — When the defender only has two oscillation squares while your King has a three-square triangle, walk the triangle (or seize Zugzwang) to hand back the move.
• T12 · Philidor Position: The 3rd-Rank Rook Cutoff (K+R vs K+R+P) — Patrol your own 3rd rank (rank 6 for Black, rank 3 for White) to bar the enemy King from advancing; the instant the pawn steps onto that rank, drop your Rook to the far back rank for endless rear checks.
• T13 · Lucena Position: Building the 4th-Rank Bridge (K+R+P vs K+R) — First check the enemy King one file further away (1. Re1+!), lift your Rook to the 4th rank (2. Re4!), zigzag your King out of the promotion square, and interpose your Rook as a bridge.
• T14 · Long-Side Rook Checks & Short-Side King Shelter (K+R vs K+R+P) — The passed pawn’s file splits the board in two: park your defending King on the narrow Short Side (f–h files) and swing your Rook to the wide Long Side (a-file) for distant lateral checks.
• T15 · Vančura Position: Lateral 6th-Rank Defense vs Rook Pawn (K+R vs K+R+a-P) — Before a rook pawn reaches a7, station your Rook laterally on the f6 square (6th rank): harass the enemy King with side checks whenever it seeks shelter, and snap back to f6 to eye a6 whenever it retreats.
• T16 · Tarrasch Rule & Active Rook Play (K+R+Ps vs K+R+Ps) — Place your Rook behind passed pawns (yours OR your opponent’s) so its scope grows with every push—and activate your King aggressively before trading down.
• T17 · 7th-Rank Pigs: Doubled Rooks & Cutoff Mate (2R vs R+Ps) — Doubled Rooks on the 7th rank ("Blind Swine") paralyze the enemy King on the back rank and force devastating sacrifices or perpetual checks.
• T18 · Same-Colored Bishops: Good Bishop vs Bad Bishop (K+B+P vs K+B+P) — Keep your own pawns on the OPPOSITE color of your Bishop so its diagonals stay open, while fixing your opponent’s pawns on the SAME color as their Bishop.
• T19 · Opposite-Colored Bishops Fortress (Down Two Pawns) (K+B vs K+B+2P) — In opposite-colored Bishop endgames, blockade strictly on the color of YOUR Bishop: the enemy Bishop can never challenge your diagonal.
• T20 · Bishop vs Knight: Two-Wing Span & Long-Range Domination (K+B+P vs K+N+2P) — With pawns on both sides of the board, the Bishop’s long-range diagonal span lets it defend one wing and attack the other simultaneously.
• T21 · Knight vs Rook Pawn: The Saving Barrier Circuit (K+N vs K+h-P) — Because a Knight loses half its squares at the rim and can never triangulate, weave a perpetual checking circuit around the promotion square (f1/h2/g4/e3).
• T22 · Queen vs 7th-Rank Pawn: Staircase & Stalemate Exceptions (K+Q vs K+P (7th)) — Against center or knight pawns (b/d/e/g), force the enemy King in front of its own promotion square—every time it blocks the pawn, bring YOUR King one step closer!
• T23 · Queen & Pawn Endgames: Perpetual Check Geometry (K+Q vs K+Q+P) — Keep maximum checking distance with your defending Queen and avoid letting the enemy Queen cross-check with a winning Queen trade!
• T24 · Queen vs Rook & Breaking the R+P Fortress (K+Q vs K+R+P) — To hold R+P vs Q, the Rook must stay glued to squares protected by its 6th/7th-rank pawn; if the Rook strays to the edge (like a5 here), infiltrate behind with Queen checks!
• T25 · Underpromotion (=R / =N) & Desperado Stalemate Saves (Underpromotion Study) — Never pre-move auto-queen near a cornered King! Underpromoting to a Rook (=R) avoids diagonal stalemate while keeping back-rank mating power.