Building upon the generic training schedule the detailed chess training schedule includes information on the topics and materials to be covered during my chess training sessions. This list is customized for me, but I am including it as an example for others to build upon as well as for my own reference.
I have added a JavaScript replay chess board which contains critical endgame positions. Right now it contains three positions mainly King and pawn endgames dealing with the opposition, but I plan on adding more every couple of days.
The following game illustrates (starting in move 49.) how to exploit an extra pawn in a King and pawn endgame with many pawns left on the board. This example comes from James Howell’s excellent book ‘Essential Chess Endings’.
Things to remember:
1. Activate the king.
2. Create a passed pawn to tie down your opponent’s king.
3. Cut out any of your opponent’s counterplay.
4. Once your opponent has run out ouf pawn moves it should be easy to force his king back.
5. Either penetrate with your king and pick off your opponent’s pawns while they are busy dealing with your passed pawn or advance your king and passed pawn to paralyze your opponent’s king and force him to make concessions with his remaining pawns.
[Event "Germany"]
[Site "Germany"]
[Date "1992"]
[White "Glienke, Manfred"]
[Black "Jahn, Constanze"]
[Result "0-1"]
[ECO "A17"]
[Annotator "Howell, James"]
[PlyCount "134"]
[EventDate "1992.??.??"]
1. Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. g3 b6 5. Bg2 Bb7 6. O-O O-O 7. d3 d5 8. cxd5
Nxd5 9. Bd2 Be7 10. Re1 c5 11. Nxd5 Bxd5 12. Bc3 Nd7 13. Qa4 Qc7 14. Rac1 Qb7
15. e4 Bc6 16. Qc2 Rac8 17. b3 Rfd8 18. Nd2 Bf6 19. Nc4 Bxc3 20. Qxc3 Nf6 21.
h3 Ne8 22. a4 f6 23. h4 Qd7 24. Bh3 Nc7 25. Re3 Qd4 26. Qe1 Rb8 27. Ra1 e5 28.
Ra2 Bd7 29. Bf1 Na6 30. Na3 Nb4 31. Nc2 Nxc2 32. Rxc2 Be6 33. Qc3 Qb4 34. Qxb4
cxb4 35. Rb2 Rbc8 36. Re1 Rc3 37. Reb1 a5 38. Be2 Rdc8 39. f3 Rc1+ 40. Bd1 R8c3
41. Kf2 Rxb1 42. Rxb1 Rxd3 43. Ke2 Rc3 44. Rb2 Kf7 45. Rc2 Bxb3 46. Rxc3 Bxd1+
47. Kxd1 bxc3 48. Kc2 Ke6 49. Kxc3 {Exploiting the extra pawn here is not
completely straightforward as White’s sole queenside pawn appears to be
holding up Black’s a-and b-pawns.} Kd6 50. Kc4 Kc6 {Both players now turn
their attention to the kingside, hoping to run the opponent out of pawn moves.}
51. h5 g6 52. h6 g5 53. g4 {White has the opposition and it looks as though
Black has lost the battle for tempi on the kingside. However, it turns out
that Black does not have to move her king.} b5+ {
It is now Black’s turn to move and he has lost the opposition.} 54. axb5+ Kb6
55. Kd5 Kxb5 56. Ke6 a4 57. Kxf6 a3 58. Kg7 a2 59. Kxh7 a1=Q 60. Kg6 Qa8 61.
Kxg5 Kc5 62. Kg6 Qf8 63. g5 Kd6 64. Kh5 Qxf3+ 65. Kg6 Qxe4+ 66. Kg7 Qb7+ 67.
Kg8 Qc8+ 0-1
Triangulation refers to a King maneuver which aims to lose a tempo, and leave the opponent with the move. (Dvoretsky) The d5 and d7 square are in correspondence. White in this position can easily “lose” a tempo and place his opponent in zugzwang.
1.Ke5!Kc62.Kd4Kd73.Kd5White has acheived his aim, by creating a triange with his King. We are now back to the starting position, except that White now has the opposition and it is Black’s turn to move, and the rest is a matter of technique. 3…Kc84.Ke6!Attaining the diagonal opposition. 4…Kd85.Kd6Attaining the vertical opposition. 5…Kc86.Ke7Kb87.Kd7Ka88.c6+-
Position after White’s 8th move.
The game would continue as follows: bxc69.Kc7c510.b7+Ka711.b8Q+.
Key squares are squares whose occupation by the King assures victory, regardless of whose turn it is to move. (Dvoretsky)
White to move is a draw.
It is important to note that a pawn on the 4th rank or below has 3 key squares, whereas a pawn on the 5th rank or higher has six key squares.
A Pawn on the 5th rank or higher has 6 key squares.
In the example below the key squares are a6, b6 and c6. The key to winning in this position is for the White king to head to the square furthest away from the enemy King (a6), since that square will be the hardest to defend.
1.Kc2! Ke7 2.Kb3 Kd6 3.Ka4 (3.Kc4? Kc6=) 3…Kc6 4.Ka5 Kb7 5.Kb5 +- and Black is in zugzwang.
The following is a classic pawn breakthrough that creates a passed pawn for the most advanced side. The key things to keep in mind is that this breakthrough will only work for the side that is most advanced and both the breakthrough and defense begin by moving the middle pawn.
White to move and win
1.b6! The breakthrough works for the side that is most advanced, in this case White. 1…cxb6 [1...axb6 2.c6 bxc6 3.a6] 2.a6 This move removes the b7 pawn. 2…bxa6 3.c6 and the c-pawn promotes, because the Black King is too far away to stop it. If Black had the move he could have defended with 1…b6! preventing the breakthrough.
Silman calls the Lucena Position “The Holy Grail of Rook Endings”. In this position Regardless of who’s turn it is to move, White wins. 
