Getting Intimately Familiar with the Chess Endgame: Queen vs Pawn on A-File

Master chess endgames through practical examples. Learn piece coordination and why endgames matter in this beginner-friendly mastering guide.

Let's Master Chess Endgames Together

On the path to mastering chess endgames, we're moving forward with determination. Don’t think, 'I don’t even know openings yet, what am I doing here?' By studying endgames, in a way, we're also learning a bit about openings and the middle game.

Memorable Positions in Endgames

When you show an experienced chess player an endgame, they might say, 'This game is a draw.' Without any calculations, they could tell you White will win in about 20 moves. Why?

They've studied these types of positions so many times that they don’t need to calculate the outcome. This knowledge allows them to conserve energy. They make moves more quickly in certain stages of the game. They even have extra time to consider other move options if they need.

Why Beginners Overlook Endgames

Endgame knowledge can make a difference, especially at lower levels. That’s because most beginner or intermediate players don’t place enough importance on studying endgames. They’re usually more inclined to study openings and gambits.

Endgame Knowledge That Will Make a Difference in Your Entire Game

The main reason why endgame knowledge is so important in chess is because it greatly enhances your overall understanding of the game. This knowledge helps you gain a broader perspective during the opening and middle game. You can make more informed decisions about which pieces to develop, which pawns to exchange, and which to keep in place. In the back of your mind, you’re already picturing positions that will keep you strong in the endgame. This gives you a valuable advantage.

If your endgame knowledge is strong, finding a solid middlegame plan becomes easier. And with good middlegame understanding, managing openings also becomes more straightforward.

Uncovering the True Strength of Each Piece

As pieces decrease in the endgame, we can focus more on those remaining pieces. In this simpler environment, we can learn what they can do, and their weaknesses in a more lasting way. It’s a great opportunity to deepen our understanding of each piece.

As pieces decrease on the board, the importance of king activity and pawn structure increases.

An often-overlooked detail in chess is to start thinking about the endgame while still in the middlegame. Noticing both your own and your opponent’s passed pawns can help you build a solid plan. We might need to sacrifice a knight for two pawns to promote a pawn or capture the opponent’s passed pawn. Or, if we don’t activate our king, we could be inviting trouble. These little details are what make the difference in winning the game.

Let the Endgame Begin: Pawn vs Queen

Let’s examine this example from White’s perspective. As we always emphasize, we need to have a goal.

Let’s look at the board. We have a pawn (a file) against a queen. In this case, we can’t aim for more than a draw. That seems tough, doesn’t it? But actually, it’s not hard at all.

It’s White’s move.

The Silent Power of Passed Pawns

(White) 1st move should be to bring our pawn one step closer to promotion.

1st move (white) a7

1st response (Black): The goal is to give check and separate the pawn from the king. For this reason, check is given from the b4 square.

Pawn vs. Queen, the endgame has been started.

1st response (black) Qb4

(White) 2nd move: we place our king on the a8 square. This move is very critical. The reason is that any move shown in the image will lead directly to a draw. Why? A stalemate occurs.

2nd move (white) Ka8

What is a stalemate?

For a game to end in a stalemate, we need two conditions, and both must occur together.

Let’s imagine you play any of the moves shown in the image with the black pieces. It’s White’s turn.

What will White play?

The pawn can’t move because the king is blocking it.
The king also can’t move, as it would be stepping into the queen's path and effectively committing suicide.

When we're in a difficult position with no chance of winning, we should try to steer the game toward a stalemate. If we’re playing as Black here, we should use the queen to clear the way for the White king, giving it a square to move to and avoiding a stalemate.

(Black) 2nd response: By moving our Queen to a5, we opened up a nice path for the King (shown by the green arrow)

Displays the correct move for a King. 2nd move.

2nd response (Black) Qa5

(White) 3rd move: The king moves to b8. This way, we are threatening to promote the pawn to a queen on our next move.

Step 3 by queen. Trying to avoid from a stalemate.

3rd move (white) Kb8

(Black) 3rd response: The queen moves to b6 with no choice but to give check.

Queen vs Pawn + King before the pawn is being promoted.

3rd response (black) Qb6

(White) 4th move: The white king has no option but to move in front of the pawn.(Either to the corner square or the square next to it.) We must not stray too far from the pawn.

(Black) 4th response: The black queen moves to a6, opening the path for the king without distancing from the pawn.

4rd move (white) Ka8 - 4rd response (black) Qa6

(White) 5th move: The only square the king can move to is b8.

(Black) 5th response: The queen gives check from d6 instead of repeating the move from b6, trying to confuse things. Remember, we can stay in the corner square or just one square away. If we move further, Black will win.

5th move (white) Kb8 - 5th response (black) Qd6

👆(White) 6th move: The white king moves to the green square indicated by the arrow in the above image.

(Black) 6th response and 7th move: The queen gives check from d8. The only square available for the white king is b7.

6th response (black) Qd8 - 7th move (white) Kb7

(Black) 7th response: The queen checks from d7. This is the game’s most critical moment. Here, there is one correct move and one incorrect move. You can see the options below.