Openings and endgames
Técnicas generales
18 termsThis page is temporarily shown in English. Complete localization will be added in a later stage.
18 terms
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Active king
Level: BasicA king that contributes usefully by attacking, defending, supporting pawns, or controlling important squares.
Opposition
Level: BasicA relationship between the kings that uses their spacing and the move order to make one king yield an important square.
Direct opposition
Level: BasicA position in which the kings share a horizontal row or vertical column with exactly one empty square between them.
Distant opposition
Level: BasicA relationship in which aligned kings are separated by an odd number of empty squares greater than one.
Diagonal opposition
Level: BasicA relationship in which the kings stand on the same diagonal with one empty square between them.
Key square
Level: BasicA square that lets the attacking king force promotion in a king-and-pawn versus king ending when it is occupied.
Critical square
Level: BasicA square whose occupation forces a concrete goal, such as promoting a pawn or winning material.
Corresponding squares
Level: IntermediatePaired squares where occupying one requires a precise king response on the other to preserve the position.
Outflanking
Level: IntermediateA king maneuver that goes around the opposing king to penetrate from the side or reach a decisive square.
Shouldering
Level: IntermediateA king technique that controls the opposing king's route and forces it to take a longer path.
Spare tempo
Level: IntermediateA saved waiting move, usually a pawn move, that transfers the critical obligation to move to the opponent.
Triangulation
Level: IntermediateA maneuver that returns to an equivalent position with the move transferred to the opponent.
Zugzwang
Level: IntermediateA position in which every legal move makes the situation worse for the player whose turn it is.
Mutual zugzwang
Level: IntermediateA position in which either side would be disadvantaged if it were that side's turn to move.
Mined squares
Level: AdvancedA pair of king squares where entering first allows a matching reply that creates zugzwang or decisive penetration.
Trébuchet
Level: IntermediateA reciprocal-zugzwang pawn position where the player to move must abandon a pawn and loses.
Fortress
Level: IntermediateA stable defensive setup where a side with fewer or less valuable pieces prevents all decisive progress.
Stalemate resource
Level: IntermediateA defensive idea that forces or threatens stalemate to save a position that would otherwise be lost.