Monday, January 23, 2023

Chess Fortress Guide - Save Your Endgame

King Feeling Trapped? ♚

Secrets of Chess Fortresses. 

Feeling the pressure in the endgame with your king under attack? Don't resign just yet! Chess offers a remarkable defensive strategy called a fortress that can turn a losing position into a well-deserved draw.

A fortress is a strategically crafted defensive position in the endgame where your king is virtually impregnable. By cleverly utilizing the remaining pieces and pawns on the board, you can create a safe haven for your king, making it impossible for your opponent to deliver checkmate.

Here's what makes a chess fortress so powerful:

  • Impenetrable Defense: The fortress utilizes your remaining pieces and pawns to create a zone around your king that your opponent simply cannot penetrate.
  • Draw Potential: By securing your king and creating a stalemate situation, you force a draw even if you have less material than your opponent.
  • Strategic Maneuvering: Building and maintaining a fortress requires precise piece placement and calculated moves to maximize its effectiveness.

Get ready to transform from an endgame underdog into a fortress-building champion!

We’ll take a look at the various resources available to help you master the art of fortresses.

First, you can learn more about fortresses by checking out the Wikipedia page dedicated to the topic. This page contains a wide variety of positions and is a great starting point for anyone looking to learn more about fortresses.

Wikipedia Chess Fortress Page


Chess Fortress Articles

Here, you'll find a curated selection of articles to help you understand and master the art of Chess Fortresses:

The Basics:

  • Chess Fortress – 7 Must-Know Positions  -  FM Yuriy Krykun -  What is it, how to build one, and how can this knowledge help from the practical point of view? 7 Must Know Endgame Positions.

  • Fortress - Chess.com Definition page w/ examples

Building Your Arsenal:
  • Fortress - FM Michel Coto - Some of the Most important Fortresses you should Know.

  • How To Build A Chess Fortress - GM Gregory Serper - Building a fortress can save a seemingly lost position. Therefore any tournament player should know these typical positions where a huge material advantage is not enough to win the game!

Beyond the Basics:
  • Was Magnus Carlsen Wrong About Chess Fortresses? - GM Gregory Serper - What he probably meant is that even though fortresses do exist in chess, the majority of the positions that look like a fortress can be penetrated. Several Examples

  • How To Break Fortresses - GM Daniel Naroditsky - Examine three crucial fortress-breaking methods that will often enable you to overcome even the stoutest resistance.

LiChess Fortress Studies

New to Lichess studies? These interactive tools allow you to explore chess concepts and variations move-by-move, perfect for testing your understanding and deepening your knowledge.

  • Fortresses in Pawn Endgames: - 37 Chapter Interactive Study - From simple Fortresses to Detailed Studys w/ Interactive Puzzles at the end. (Very Detailed and in-depth study)

  • Fortresses  -  16 Chapter Study -  Different types w/ puzzles at the End.

  • The great Fortresses  - 14 Chapter Study - All the Basic Fortresses you should Know.

  • Fortresses  - 9 Chapter Study - Explore fortresses built around bishops and pawn walls, along with real-game examples to see these strategies in action.

  • 10 Elementary Fortresses  - 12 Chapter Study - This study provides a solid starting point for beginners, focusing on fundamental fortress principles.

  • Endings: Fortress  - 4 Chapter Study

Chess Fortress Video Lessons


The Fortress | Endings for Tournament Players - GM Varuzhan Akobian  - 45 Min -This comprehensive lecture by GM Akobian lays the groundwork, explaining the concept of fortresses and demonstrating various positions where material disadvantage can be overcome with a well-constructed fortress.

You Can't Penetrate the Fortress! Draw! | Endgame Exclam!! - GM Varuzhan Akobian 46 Min - Identifies positions where a player is down material, but can manage a draw with the fortress technique. See how the stronger side can't force the King out of the corner structure.

Don't Let Her In! Queen vs. Fortress | Insane in the Endgame - GM Alex Shabalov - 56 Min - A chess endgame class focusing on fortresses to defend against queen attacks.

GM Johan Hellsten: Fortresses | U.S. Chess School 4.20.2021  - 64 Min -  Deepen your understanding with this focused lecture by GM Hellsten, featuring a detailed discussion of 14 essential fortress examples.

5 Chess Fortresses You Must Know | Chess Ending | ChessMaster2000  - 16 Min - Gain valuable insights from this video as it unveils five crucial fortress formations you should be familiar with.


How to build a Fortress in Chess | Must-Know defensive Method for the Endgame - 17 Min  IM Ostrovskiy - Main method of making a draw in the opposite colored Bishop endgame, the so called “Fortress”.

How to build a chess fortress | must-know defensive patterns - 10 Min NM 

FM Chris Wallis Lecture: End Game Fortresses  - 67 Min 

Building a Fortress | Forts in Chess | ChessKid - 10 Min - Explains the important concept of fortresses on the chessboard: what they are, how to set them up, and why you would want to use them.  (New - 6/1/24) Beginner


Hamersmith Chess Club


Endgame Studies


Fortress Game Videos w/ Analysis

Endgame Fortress Brilliancy: Grandmaster Paul Benko vs International Master Bonin  - 3 Min

Chess Fortress: Hans Ree vs Vlastimil Hort 1986 Never give up!!!  - 3 Min

Fortress to Believe in! || Nakamura vs Carlsen  - 15 min

Endgame Fortress Brilliancy : Grandmaster Grigory Serper vs GM Hikaru Nakamura - 6 Min

Tigran's Fortress | Fischer vs Petrosian | (1971) | Game 5  - 12 Min


"I don't believe in fortresses." - Magnus Carlsen


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