Phases & endgames
Bishop endgame
Bishops and pawns — colour is everything.
What is the bishop endgame?
A bishop endgame leaves only bishops and pawns. Same-coloured bishops can be sharply won or lost, while opposite-coloured bishop endings are famous for their drawing tendency — the defender blockades on the bishop's colour and holds.
Why the bishop endgame matters
Recognising when an opposite-coloured bishop ending is a dead draw — even two pawns down — saves half-points you would otherwise resign, and knowing when same-colour endings are winning helps you steer toward them.
How to use it to win
Fix enemy pawns on the colour of your bishop so it attacks them and the enemy bishop cannot defend. In opposite-coloured endings, build a fortress on your bishop's colour; to win, create two widely separated passed pawns.
Try an example puzzle
A real bishop endgame puzzle from the app. Black to move — find the idea, then reveal the line.
2 
5 
Show solution
1. ... Bf1#
Drill the bishop endgame on thousands of real puzzles, matched to your rating.