user31663: Related: How to improve on the early endgame?
How exactly do I study or learn endgame theory? Is it just memorizing certain positions that are quite common and knowing how to attack and counter?

user17887: For a beginner, probably working backwards is most productive:

If you have K and Q and the opponent just has their K, you should know how to checkmate in a short amount of time (and avoid stalemate).
1b. This means if you have K and P against K, and can queen the P (without stalemate), you will win.

If you have K and R against K, you should win in a small number of steps, but it requires more thought than K and Q. But it should be known to you like the back of your hand.


Everything beyond this is more complicated... K and one or two minor pieces against another K and minor piece is complicated.
But/and if you can see how to simplify to one of the easy cases, then you have won. (And try to avoid allowing your opponent to reach that: e.g., if your opponent is ahead by one pawn, don't allow them to trade all pieces to leave the situation at K+P against your K!)

user17425: Start with the most fundamental endings such as king and pawn vs. king, king rook and pawn vs. king and rook.
Then learn how more complex endings are made of combinations of simpler endings.  For example, you may see how to exchange a complex ending into a winning king and pawn ending.
Finally learn how to transition from a complex middle game to a complex winning ending.
practice -> study -> practice -> study -> practice -> study

user4418: "Checkmate ends the game". So, the first step in learning endgame theory is learning the basic checkmates - KRR vs K, KQ vs K, KR vs K, KBB vs K and KBN vs K.
There is no point in reaching a simple theoretical won endgame if you can't finish it off. A cruel opponent will refuse to resign and you will be embarrassed by the 50 move rule. This first step is vital and fortunately it is also the easiest.
The second phase involves learning what kinds of positions you can turn into one of these basic mating combinations and how to get there.
There are three key components:

material
position
turn

Taking the simplest combination of K+P vs K the result depends on where the pieces are and whose turn it is. For example white king on e1, pawn on e2 and black king on e8. Is it a white win or a draw? The correct answer is that we don't know until we know whose turn it is. White to move is a win. Black to move is a draw.
There are key squares in relation to the position of the pawn which the white king must be able to reach to force a win. If black can prevent that then the result will be a draw. Like the simple mates you just need to learn this stuff.
KRB vs KR is a theoretical draw but there is a difficult way to win if black goes wrong. It is important to know the ideas involved so that you can win with the RB when your opponent goes wrong and similarly when you just have the R so you don't throw away half a point. With the extra bishop there are positions from which you can win. You need to know what they are and how to win from there. That way you know what you are aiming for if you have the extra bishop and you know what to avoid if you just have the rook.
In my opinion the best endgame resource is the two DVD volume set which GM Nick Pert produced for Ginger GM. I thikn it has all the endgame knowledge you will ever need in audiovisual format which many of us find easier to absorb than books.
Here are two YouTube trailers for the series, one from DVD 1 and one from DVD 2.

user32155: How to learn endgame theory
The endgame, as said by many top-level players, is the most difficult part of the game. It decides whether you will win, lose or end up drawing the game. This is the only reason why Magnus Carlsen ends up grinding the win in almost every endgame (except those which are drawish).
Endgames require a lot of practice or I should say concept-building practice. There are tons of endgame theories out there, like Lucena, King Square, Rook vs knight or bishop, equal pawns, etc. One must understand the concept behind that theory and not memorize that particular position. Instead, one should try to memorize the pattern, because you will not get the same position every time (just like tactics). The best way to study endgames is by practicing the endgame positions. This way people will build the habit and required intuition for the endgame.
One cannot become Magnus Carlsen in the endgame in a month or two, not even a year. It requires you several years of daily practice and an intuition-building process to master it. After lots of experience in practicing and playing endgames, you will find out that the moves will automatically come to you, and you won't have to think long to find the best move.
It looks like you want to know how to play endgames.
Some common points to keep in mind:

The King is one of the most important pieces in the endgame. Learn how to use it to block or shoulder another king from entering your territory. This is basically applicable in King-pawn endgames.
Learn the use case of bishops in open positions and knights in closed positions. Try to exchange if the piece does not adjust to the type of position. Don't think about this too much! You'll learn it slowly as you practice.
Blocking the king from entering the territory helps in winning most of the games. The Rook is the most useful piece for this purpose.
Learn the Rule of +2. One needs to have at least two more pieces than your opponent to attack them. This is applicable for both defending and attacking.
Opposition plays a major role in endgames. One must know where to keep the piece to get the upper hand in the position. This is why one must never try to be passive in endgames.

Sources for study:

Endgame books or web-sources
Lichess study and General endgame
Lichess Puzzles and Chess.com Puzzles
Lichess Practice and another useful source
Eric Rosen's endgame video


user13012: The reason that Magnus Carlsen is a superb endgame player is not because he has memorized a lot of standard positions or that he has memorized "the patterns behind them". It is that he has a wonderful imagination and nobody can tell you how to acquire that. Like a sculptor, he sees the statue inside the stone and knows how to release it. I am not completely sure that you do want to "Learn endgame theory". You may want to "learn how to play endgames" which is a bit different.
There a great many posts related to this. As far as I can see, they mostly contain good advice that I will not try to replicate, but there are a few rules to follow if you are to avoid common mistakes.

Realize that the King is a strong piece. If there is no risk of being mated, his fighting power is roughly that of a minor piece, but unlike either a Bishop or a Knight, there are no gaps in his armor. From an early stage, ask yourself how your King will be used. As the endgame approaches, whenever you have a spare move, consider nudging him a square closer to the action.

Avoid passivity, unless there is really no choice. This applies especially to Rooks, which can get bogged down in a maze of Pawns. Rooks need open lines to display their power. If a Rook is the only piece that can defend a weak Pawn, and if doing so would reduce its mobility, you should always try to find a counterattack instead.

Remember the "Rule of Two Weaknesses". One weakness (isolated Pawn, exposed King) can often be defended, but if there are two, the attacker can often switch between them, and the defender may not have have enough manoeuvrability to keep up. Good endgame players know how to do this. Great endgame players know how to create the situation.

Never make an unmotivated Piece exchange. Weak players often exchange a piece for no better reason than that it is possible and will result in there being "less to think about". Strong players usually prefer to leave all options open, at least until the strategic objectives have clarified.


Having said this, there is some indispensable theory, available in many books. When can you win with your last Pawn, under a variety of conditions? What is, or is not, mating material? But above all, teach yourself to enjoy endgames.

31663: <p>Related: <a href="https://chess.stackexchange.com/questions/23098/how-to-improve-on-the-early-endgame?rq=1">How to improve on the early endgame?</a></p>
<p>How exactly do I study or learn endgame theory? Is it just memorizing certain positions that are quite common and knowing how to attack and counter?</p>
 17887: <p>For a beginner, probably working backwards is most productive:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>If you have K and Q and the opponent just has their K, you should know how to checkmate in a short amount of time (and avoid stalemate).</p>
<p>1b. This means if you have K and P against K, and can queen the P (without stalemate), you will win.</p>
</li>
<li><p>If you have K and R against K, you should win in a small number of steps, but it requires more thought than K and Q. But it should be known to you like the back of your hand.</p>
</li>
</ol>
<p>Everything beyond this is more complicated... K and one or two minor pieces against another K and minor piece is complicated.</p>
<p>But/and if you can see how to <em>simplify</em> to one of the easy cases, then you have won. (And try to avoid allowing your opponent to reach that: e.g., if your opponent is ahead by one pawn, don't allow them to trade all pieces to leave the situation at K+P against your K!)</p>
 17425: <p>Start with the most fundamental endings such as king and pawn vs. king, king rook and pawn vs. king and rook.</p>
<p>Then learn how more complex endings are made of combinations of simpler endings.  For example, you may see how to exchange a complex ending into a winning king and pawn ending.</p>
<p>Finally learn how to transition from a complex middle game to a complex winning ending.</p>
<p>practice -&gt; study -&gt; practice -&gt; study -&gt; practice -&gt; study</p>
 4418: <p>&quot;Checkmate ends the game&quot;. So, the first step in learning endgame theory is learning the basic checkmates - KRR vs K, KQ vs K, KR vs K, KBB vs K and KBN vs K.</p>
<p>There is no point in reaching a simple theoretical won endgame if you can't finish it off. A cruel opponent will refuse to resign and you will be embarrassed by the 50 move rule. This first step is vital and fortunately it is also the easiest.</p>
<p>The second phase involves learning what kinds of positions you can turn into one of these basic mating combinations and how to get there.</p>
<p>There are three key components:</p>
<ol>
<li>material</li>
<li>position</li>
<li>turn</li>
</ol>
<p>Taking the simplest combination of K+P vs K the result depends on where the pieces are and whose turn it is. For example white king on e1, pawn on e2 and black king on e8. Is it a white win or a draw? The correct answer is that we don't know until we know whose turn it is. White to move is a win. Black to move is a draw.</p>
<p>There are key squares in relation to the position of the pawn which the white king must be able to reach to force a win. If black can prevent that then the result will be a draw. Like the simple mates you just need to learn this stuff.</p>
<p>KRB vs KR is a theoretical draw but there is a difficult way to win if black goes wrong. It is important to know the ideas involved so that you can win with the RB when your opponent goes wrong and similarly when you just have the R so you don't throw away half a point. With the extra bishop there are positions from which you can win. You need to know what they are and how to win from there. That way you know what you are aiming for if you have the extra bishop and you know what to avoid if you just have the rook.</p>
<p>In my opinion the best endgame resource is the <a href="https://chess.co.uk/products/killer-endgames-part-1-and-2-gm-nick-pert-dvd" rel="nofollow noreferrer">two DVD volume set</a> which GM Nick Pert produced for Ginger GM. I thikn it has all the endgame knowledge you will ever need in audiovisual format which many of us find easier to absorb than books.</p>
<p>Here are two YouTube trailers for the series, one from <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXV2haS9viM" rel="nofollow noreferrer">DVD 1</a> and one from <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8nQu0U_0FM" rel="nofollow noreferrer">DVD 2</a>.</p>
 32155: <h2>How to learn endgame theory</h2>
<p>The endgame, as said by many top-level players, is the most difficult part of the game. It decides whether you will win, lose or end up drawing the game. This is the only reason why Magnus Carlsen ends up grinding the win in almost every endgame (except those which are <em>drawish</em>).</p>
<p>Endgames require a lot of practice or I should say concept-building practice. There are tons of endgame theories out there, like Lucena, King Square, Rook vs knight or bishop, equal pawns, etc. <strong>One must understand the concept behind that theory and not memorize that particular position. Instead, one should try to memorize the pattern, because you will not get the same position every time (<em>just like tactics</em>).</strong> The best way to study endgames is by practicing the endgame positions. This way people will build the habit and required intuition for the endgame.</p>
<p><em>One cannot become Magnus Carlsen in the endgame in a month or two, not even a year</em>. It requires you several years of daily practice and an intuition-building process to master it. After lots of experience in practicing and playing endgames, you will find out that the moves will automatically come to you, and you won't have to think long to find the best move.</p>
<p>It looks like you want to know how to play endgames.</p>
<h2>Some common points to keep in mind:</h2>
<ul>
<li>The <strong>King</strong> is one of the most important pieces in the endgame. Learn how to use it to block or shoulder another king from entering your territory. This is basically applicable in King-pawn endgames.</li>
<li>Learn the use case of <strong>bishops</strong> in <strong>open</strong> positions and <strong>knights</strong> in <strong>closed</strong> positions. Try to exchange if the piece does not adjust to the type of position. Don't think about this too much! You'll learn it slowly as you practice.</li>
<li><strong>Blocking</strong> the king from entering the territory helps in winning most of the games. The <strong>Rook</strong> is the most useful piece for this purpose.</li>
<li>Learn the <strong>Rule of +2</strong>. One needs to have at least two more pieces than your opponent to attack them. This is applicable for both defending and attacking.</li>
<li><strong>Opposition</strong> plays a major role in endgames. One must know where to keep the piece to get the upper hand in the position. This is why one must never try to be passive in endgames.</li>
</ul>
<h2>Sources for study:</h2>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://chess.stackexchange.com/questions/14530/endgame-books-or-web-sources">Endgame books or web-sources</a></li>
<li><a href="https://lichess.org/study/wukLYIXj" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Lichess study</a> and <a href="https://lichess.org/study/vMmllPNw" rel="nofollow noreferrer">General endgame</a></li>
<li><a href="https://lichess.org/training/themes" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Lichess Puzzles</a> and <a href="https://www.chess.com/endgames" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Chess.com Puzzles</a></li>
<li><a href="https://lichess.org/practice" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Lichess Practice</a> and another useful <a href="https://chess-endgame-trainer.firebaseapp.com/home" rel="nofollow noreferrer">source</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEbGmTJ95DU" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Eric Rosen's endgame video</a></li>
</ul>
 13012: <p>The reason that Magnus Carlsen is a superb endgame player is not because he has memorized a lot of standard positions or that he has memorized &quot;the patterns behind them&quot;. It is that he has a wonderful imagination and nobody can tell you how to acquire that. Like a sculptor, he sees the statue inside the stone and knows how to release it. I am not completely sure that you do want to &quot;Learn endgame theory&quot;. You may want to &quot;learn how to play endgames&quot; which is a bit different.</p>
<p>There a <em>great</em> many posts related to this. As far as I can see, they mostly contain good advice that I will not try to replicate, but there are a few rules to follow if you are to avoid common mistakes.</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Realize that the King is a strong piece. If there is no risk of being mated, his fighting power is roughly that of a minor piece, but unlike either a Bishop or a Knight, there are no gaps in his armor. From an early stage, ask yourself how your King will be used. As the endgame approaches, whenever you have a spare move, consider nudging him a square closer to the action.</p>
</li>
<li><p>Avoid passivity, unless there is really no choice. This applies especially to Rooks, which can get bogged down in a maze of Pawns. Rooks need open lines to display their power. If a Rook is the only piece that can defend a weak Pawn, and if doing so would reduce its mobility, you should always try to find a counterattack instead.</p>
</li>
<li><p>Remember the &quot;Rule of Two Weaknesses&quot;. One weakness (isolated Pawn, exposed King) can often be defended, but if there are two, the attacker can often switch between them, and the defender may not have have enough manoeuvrability to keep up. Good endgame players know how to do this. Great endgame players know how to create the situation.</p>
</li>
<li><p>Never make an unmotivated Piece exchange. Weak players often exchange a piece for no better reason than that it is possible and will result in there being &quot;less to think about&quot;. Strong players usually prefer to leave all options open, at least until the strategic objectives have clarified.</p>
</li>
</ol>
<p>Having said this, there is some indispensable theory, available in many books. When can you win with your last Pawn, under a variety of conditions? What is, or is not, mating material? But above all, teach yourself to enjoy endgames.</p>
