Endgame Boot Camp – 30-Day Endgame Focus
The endgame is where points are saved and won, yet it is often the most neglected phase of study. This "Endgame Boot Camp" is a 30-day intensive training plan designed to fix that. For one month, you will focus exclusively on King and Pawn basics, Rook endings, and conversion technique. Commit to this concentrated push to permanently upgrade your technique and confidence in the final phase.
This 30-day Endgame Boot Camp is for players who want a concentrated push on endgames. For one month, you will focus mainly on:
- King and pawn endgames
- Rook endings
- Basic minor piece endings
- Practical conversion of advantages
- Defending difficult endings
You can use this plan as a stand-alone project or as an intensive module within a longer training schedule (for example, your 3-month plan).
🎯 Core Goals of the 30-Day Endgame Boot Camp
This intensive program is designed to fix your endgame leaks and turn draws into wins.
- Understand king activity and opposition
- Know key theoretical positions (Lucena, Philidor, basic K+P endings)
- Improve your ability to convert extra pawns
- Strengthen your technique in rook endgames
- Gain confidence in reaching and playing endgames
🧱 Structure of the 30-Day Plan
- 20–40 minutes per day (most days)
- Split into:
- Concept learning
- Practical examples
- Puzzle or drill work
- One weekly “lighter” day or rest day
The plan is divided into 4 weekly themes. You can adapt the intensity to your schedule, but try to keep a daily connection with endgame ideas.
📅 Week 1 – King and Pawn Fundamentals
Focus: King activity, opposition, key squares, basic K+P vs K wins/draws.
- Days 1–2: Opposition (direct, distant, diagonal) and key squares
- Days 3–4: Square of the pawn, outside passed pawn, shouldering
- Day 5: Practical K+P puzzles (win/draw identification)
- Day 6: Set up 2–3 positions on a board and play them vs computer
- Day 7: Light review or rest day
The aim is to feel comfortable moving your king aggressively in simplified positions and recognising basic win/draw patterns.
📅 Week 2 – Rook Endgame Essentials
Focus: Activity, cutting off the king, key win/draw techniques.
- Days 8–9: Rooks behind passed pawns, cutting off the king
- Day 10: Lucena position (building a bridge)
- Day 11: Philidor defence (drawing inferior rook endings)
- Day 12: Practical rook endgame puzzles
- Day 13: Play out simplified rook endings vs computer
- Day 14: Light recap or rest
Rook endgames are common, so recognising these themes pays off quickly.
📅 Week 3 – Minor Piece & Simplified Endgames
Focus: Good knight vs bad bishop, opposite-coloured bishops, simple piece endings.
- Days 15–16: Good vs bad bishop, knight vs bishop concepts
- Day 17: Opposite-coloured bishop endings (drawing tendencies)
- Day 18: Knight and bishop vs pawns – typical ideas
- Day 19: Practical minor-piece endgame puzzles
- Day 20: Model game endings featuring minor piece technique
- Day 21: Light review or rest
📅 Week 4 – Practical Conversion & Defence
Focus: Converting extra pawns, avoiding stalemate tricks, defending tough endings.
- Day 22: Converting an extra pawn in simplified positions
- Day 23: Technique for pushing passed pawns safely
- Day 24: Avoiding stalemate and perpetual check traps
- Day 25: Defensive techniques – active defence, fortress ideas
- Day 26: Practical “convert or hold” puzzle set
- Day 27: Play 1–2 slow games aiming for endgames
- Days 28–30: Review your notes and key positions, identify what to revisit later
By the end of Week 4, you should feel more confident both converting advantages and defending difficult endgames.
🧠 Training Methods for Maximum Retention
- Set up positions on a physical or digital board, not just in your head
- Play winning positions vs a computer until you can win them consistently
- Save key diagrams and create a small “endgame notebook”
- Revisit the most important patterns multiple times over the month
Endgames reward repetition: seeing the same type of position several times helps it “stick” permanently in your chess memory.
A 30-day endgame boot camp can permanently transform your results. Many games that used to drift into draws or losses will become confident wins once you build solid endgame technique.