What is an endgame, and what is a queenless middlegame? I'll look at a couple of the latter, then a game of mine which moved from one into the other. Lastly, I include some examples of lines to practice with.

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Anon - Barcza (Debrecen) 1934

1. e4 Nc6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 Qxd5 4. Nf3 Bg4 5. Nc3 ? 5... Bxf3 6. Nxd5 Bxd1 7. Nxc7+ Kd7 8. Nxa8 Bxc2 9. Bf4 e5 10. dxe5 Bb4+

 

The key themes of this position: rapid development, open lines, exposed king and giving up material or development - have little to do with the ending (pawn majority, rook on the seventh, active king, etc.)

11. Ke2 ?

[11. Bd2 Bxd2+ 12. Kxd2 Bf5 with about equal material]

11... Nge7 12. Nc7 Nd4+ 13. Ke3 Nef5# 0-1

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Hubner - Benko (Hungary) 1976 [Mednis]

1. d4 g6 2. c4 d6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 e5 5. dxe5 dxe5 6. Qxd8+ Kxd8

 

A more complex queenless middlegame in modern master play

7. f4 Nd7 8. Nf3 c6 9. Be2 f6 10. O-O Ke8 11. g3 Nh6 12. Kg2 Nf7 13. Be3 Bf8 14. Rad1 b6 15. a3 Be7 16. Ne1 Bc5 ?!

  Black was afraid of Nd3 and; b4

17. Nc2 Bxe3 18. Nxe3 h5 19. b4 Bb7 20. Kg1 Rd8 21. h4 Nf8 22. c5

 

White is better developed and starts to open lines - again, classic middlegame ideas, but not so much in the ending when direct attacks have little chance of success.

22... Rxd1 23. Bxd1 bxc5 24. Bb3 Nd7

[24...cxb4 25. axb4 and Rd1]

25. Rd1 Bc8 26. b5

  still working for open lines

26... cxb5 27. Nxb5 exf4 28. gxf4 Nb6 29. Nxa7 Bb7 30. Nb5 Ke7 ?

[30... Bxe4 31. Bxf7+ Kxf7 32. Nd6+]

[30... Bc6]

31. Bxf7 Kxf7 32. Nd6+ Ke7 33. Nxb7 Ra8 34. Nxc5 Rxa3 35. Kf2 Rc3 36. Rb1 1-0

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Regis,D - Dobber,P (Paignton #3)

1. e4 d6 2. d4 e5 3. dxe5

[3. Nf3 of course transposes to the Philidor, but I thought the text was critical]

3... dxe5 4. Qxd8+ Kxd8 5. Bc4 f6 6. Be3 c6

[6... Nd7 ! 7. Nc3 Bc5 this idea my opponent showed me the following day; I think it equalises 8. Bxc5 Nxc5 9. O-O-O+ Nd7 10. f4 exf4]

7. Nc3 Kc7 8. O-O-O Nd7 9. f4 Bb4 10. Nf3 Ne7 11. fxe5 fxe5 12. Rhf1 Ng6

 

White is better mobilised but needs a breakthrough. The next phase shows White trying various ideas and angles ...

13. Ng5

[13. h4 h5 14. Bf7 Ne7 15. Be6 Bxc3 16. bxc3 Nf6 17. Bxc8 Raxc8 18. Nxe5 Rcd8]

13... Nf6 14. Bf7

[14. Nf7 Rf8 15. Bg5 Bxc3 16. Bxf6 gxf6 17. bxc3 Bg4 18. Rd2 Nf4 19. g3 Be2 20. Bxe2 Nxe2+ 21. Rxe2 Rxf7 22. Ref2 Raf8 23. g4 h6]

14... Ne7 15. Be6

[15. Ne6+ Bxe6 16. Bxe6 was worth a punt - next game!]

15... h6 16. Bxc8 Raxc8

[16... hxg5 17. Be6 Bxc3 18. bxc3 Rae8 19. Bxg5 Rxh2 20. Bxf6 gxf6 21. Rd7+ Kb6 22. Bf7]

17. Nf7 Ng4 18. Bg1 Rhf8 19. h3 Nf6 20. Nxe5 Bxc3 21. bxc3 Rcd8

  White has a pawn but it is very vulnerable

22. Bc5

[22. Rxd8 Rxd8 23. Nf7 is interesting: 23... Rd7 24. Bh2+ Kb6 25. e5 Nfd5 26. Kb2 Ne3]

22... Rxd1+ 23. Rxd1 Re8

  how to keep the pawn?

24. Bd6+ Kb6 25. Nc4+ Ka6 26. Rd4 Ng6 27. e5 Nd5 28. Rg4

  determined but inadequate: ...b5 will bring the house down

28... Re6 29. Kd2 b5 30. Nb2 Nxe5 31. Bxe5 Rxe5 32. Rxg7

 

32... Rg5

  Knight endings are harder to draw than rook endings but Black hoped to sac the knight for the K-side pawns and blockade on the Queen's-side

[32... Nf4 draws, I'm pretty sure 33. Rf7 Nxg2 34. Rf6 Rh5 35. Rxc6+ Kb7 36. Rg6 Nf4 37. Rg7+ Kb6 may even be better for Black]

33. Rxg5 hxg5 34. g3 Nf6 35. h4 Ne4+ 36. Kd3 Nxg3 37. hxg5 Kb6

  some careful footwork secures the win

38. c4 Kc5 39. cxb5 cxb5 40. g6 Nh5 41. Ke4 Kb4

[41... Kd6 42. Kf5 Ke7 43. Kg5 Ng7 44. Nd3 Ne6+ 45. Kh6 Kf6 46. Nf4]

42. Nd3+ Kc3 43. Nf4 Nf6+ 44. Ke5 Ng8

[44... Ng4+ 45. Kf5 Nh6+ 46. Kg5 Ng8 47. Nd5+ Kxc2 48. Nf6 Ne7 49. g7 Kb2 50. Nd5 Ng8 51. Kg6 a5 52. Kh7 b4 53. Kxg8 b3 54. axb3 Kxb3]

45. Nd5+ Kxc2

[45... Kb2 saves a move, but is still too late]

46. Nf6 Ne7

[46... Nh6 47. Kf4 Kb2 48. Kg5 Ng8 49. Nxg8 a5 50. Nf6]

47. g7 1-0

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Endgame Openings

King's Indian Defence

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 3. Nc3 Bg7 4. e4 d6 5. Nf3 O-O 6. Be2 e5 7. dxe5 dxe5 8. Qxd8 Rxd8 9. Bg5

 

 

English Opening, Andersson-Book line

1. c4 Nf6 2. Nc3 d5 3. cxd5 Nxd5 4. Nf3 g6 5. e4 Nxc3 6. dxc3 Qxd1+ 7. Kxd1

 

 

English Opening, Double Fianchetto

1. c4 c5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. g3 b6 4. Bg2 Bb7 5. O-O g6 6. b3 Bg7 7. Bb2 O-O 8. Nc3 d5 9. Nxd5 Nxd5 10. Bxg7 Kxg7 11. cxd5 Qxd5 12. d4 cxd4 13. Qxd4+ Qxd4 14. Nxd4 Bxg2 15. Kxg2

 

 

French Defence, Tarrasch Variation

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 c5 4. exd5 exd5 5. Bb5+ Bd7 6. Qe2+ Qe7 7. Bxd7+ Nxd7 8. dxc5 Qxe2+ 9. Nxe2 Bxc5

 

Sicilian Defence, Accelerated Dragon

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 g6 5. c4 Nf6 6. Nc3 Nxd4 7. Qxd4 d6 8. Bg5 Bg7 9. f3 O-O 10. Qd2 Be6 11. Rc1 Qa5 12. b3 Rfc8 13. Be2 a6 14. Na4 Qxd2+ 15. Kxd2

 

 

Sicilian Defence, Dragon Variation

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 g6 6. Be3 Bg7 7. f3 O-O 8. Qd2 Nc6 9. g4 Nxd4 10. Bxd4 Be6 11. O-O-O Qa5 12. Kb1 Rfc8 13. a3 Rab8 14. g5 Nh5 15. Nd5 Qxd2 16. Rxd2 Bxd5 17. exd5

 

 

Modern Defence, Averbach Variation

1. e4 g6 2. d4 Bg7 3. c4 d6 4. Nc3 e5 5. dxe5 dxe5 6. Qxd8+ Kxd8 7. f4

 

 

Petroff Defence, Lasker Variation

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nxe5 d6 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. Qe2 Qe7 6. d3 Nf6 7. Bg5 Nbd7 8. Nc3 Qxe2+ 9. Bxe2

 

 

Ruy Lopez Exchange Variation

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Bxc6 dxc6 5. d4 exd4 6. Qxd4 Qxd4 7. Nxd4

 

 

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Bxc6 dxc6 5. O-O f6 6. d4 exd4 7. Nxd4 c5 8. Nb3 Qxd1 9. Rxd1