Bishop Endgame Resources:
A Comprehensive Guide
Mastering bishop endgames is crucial for chess improvement. This guide provides a curated list of resources to help you excel in these key situations.
Wikipedia Articles
Opposite Colored Bishop Endgame - Rather large Wikipedia page on this topic
Wrong bishop - Page Dedicated to this one topic
Bishop Endgame Articles
Bishop Endgame Strategies: Dominate the endgame with expert bishop tactics, techniques, and winning concepts.
Understanding Bishop Endgames:
- How to use the Bishop - 6 Page Article about Bishops with some Endgame Info Also.
- Materialism , Opposite Colored Bishops, and Kasparovs Theorem - Chess.com Article by GM Vbhat - Analyze a game showcasing the complexities of material vs. opposite-colored bishops.
- Bishop Endgames - Exeter Chess Club Page (Comprehensive Guide): Deep dive into various bishop endgames, including in-depth articles and studies.
- Double Bishop Endgames - Exeter Chess Club - (Specialized Guide): Explore complexities and strategies specific to double bishop endgames.
Bishop Endgame Strategies:
- The Chess World: Chess Fortress -(FM Yuriy Krykun): Learn the surprising concept of sacrificing material to build a winning "fortress" in specific Bishop endgames.
- The Chess World: Bishop Endgames with Karpov - (WGM Raluca Sgîrcea & IM Renier Castellanos): Analyze endgames featuring the legendary Karpov's bishop mastery (4 example games).
- The Chess World: Rook vs. Bishop Endgame -(Yury Markushin): Gain valuable tactics and techniques for drawing rook vs. bishop endgames.
- The Chess World: Opposite Colored Bishops Endgame - (Yury Markushin): Master key concepts and strategies for opposite-colored bishop endgames.
LICHESS Bishop Endgame Studies
Sharpen your bishop skills with these Lichess studies!
- Bishop And Pawn Endgames - 25 Chapter Study - Master fundamental bishop and pawn endgames in this comprehensive study (rated highly with 106 hearts).
- Bishop endgames 19 Chapter Interactive Study - Put your skills to the test by playing against the computer in various bishop endgame scenarios (includes lessons).
- same-coloured bishop endgames - 2 Chapter Study
- Endgames 3 (Opposite colored bishop) - 10 Chapter Study - Well Done study with nice Lessons
- Practice: Bishop And Pawn Endgames: - 25 Chapter Interactive Study - Great Group of Positions to play against the computer.
- Bishop Pair Endgames - 15 Chapter Study (15 Really Nice Annotated Games)
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.
Bishop Endgame Video Lessons
a) Bishop Endings General
Master essential bishop endgame concepts with these video lessons:
Bishop Endgames - GM Varuzhan Akobian - 54 Min - Grandmaster Var Akobian takes us through opposite-colored and like-colored Bishop endgames. Turn an apparent drawn position into a winning one. Hold an apparent lost position to a draw. Not everything you've heard about Bishop endgames is true. Also, learn the benefits of triangulation.
Force that Bishop to the Short Diagonal! - 24 Min GM Akobian - Grandmaster Varuzhan Akobian explores bishop endgames. Evaluate opposite-colored bishop positions. When the bishops are on the same color, learn to bully a bishop from a long diagonal to a short one to promote a pawn.
Bishop and Pawn vs Same colored Bishop - 10 min Video - I show an endgame discussed in Aron Nimzovitch's 'My System' in which a Bishop is able to display a number of tricky maneuvers to ultimately win control of the Queening Square.
How to win Bishop and pawn Endgames with the 2 Weaknesses Principle! - 10 Min - Robert Plunketts Chess Lab - (New 5/29/24)
b) Same Color Bishop Endgames
Demystify the challenges and opportunities of same-colored bishop endgames:
- GM Magesh Panchanathan: Same Color Bishop Endgames | U.S. Chess School - 61 Min - discussing key concepts, strategies, and common mistakes. He emphasizes the importance of understanding which diagonal the bishop should be on and how to manipulate it to achieve a winning position or secure a draw.
- Same-Color Bishop Endgames | Endgame Exclam!! - GM Cristian Chirila - 43 Min - presents an advanced lecture on the conversion and defense of endgames where each side has a bishop on like-colored squares.
- Same-Color Bishop Endgames, with NM Spencer Finegold - 54 Min - w/ analysis of 4 top level Games.
c) Opposite Color Bishop Endgames
Not all opposite-colored bishop endgames are draws! Explore winning techniques and essential strategies:
- GM Neiksans Boot Camp #15 - Opposite Color Bishop Endgames - (Almost 2 Hr ) -GM Neiksans explores winning techniques in opposite-colored bishop endgames
- The Opposite Color Bishops | Endgame Class - NM Caleb Denby - 58 min - National Master Caleb Denby looks at opposite color bishop endgames. Start with the "bare bones" of the situation and then work up with more pawns being added to the board.
- Opposite Colored Bishops Endgames | Endgame Strategy | Intermediate Level | IM Andrey Ostrovskiy - 16 Min - IM Andrey Ostrovskiy will teach you the basic theory of opposite colored bishop endgames.
- How to Win the Opposite-colored Bishop Endgames? - 20 Min - Remote Chess Academy - IM Asaf Givon has prepared a very instructive video lesson for you on a tricky topic – Opposite-colored Bishop Endgames! In this lesson, he will teach you how to win and defend in such endgames with the instructive examples - games of Mikhail Tal, Paul Keres, Veselin Topalov, Ding Liren, and more.
- Opposite Color Bishops: Know the Rules | Insane in the Endgame - GM Josh Friedel - 60 min - Learn the "rules" of opposite color bishop games.
- Opposite-Color Bishop Endgames | Grandmaster's Choice - GM Dariusz Swiercz - 50 Min - Grandmaster Daro Swiercz looks at chess games where opposite-color bishop endgames occurred. Usually, these types lead to draws. However, that is not always the case. See different scenarios where the pawn structure made the difference.
- Key Tips for Endgames w/ Opposite Colored Bishops | Dojo Lessons - 24 min Chess Dojo - The video provides an in-depth analysis of a chess game focusing on the endgame with opposite-colored bishops. It discusses strategic moves, tactical errors, and principles for winning such endgames.
- IM Kassa Korley: Opposite Colored Bishop Endgames | US Chess School - 56 Min - IM Kassa Korley delivers a lecture on opposite colored bishop endgames w/ 6 Example games.