Opposition
"A king-and-pawn endgame concept where kings face each other with one square between them; the player not to move holds the opposition."
Interactive Demonstration
Visualizing the Concept
Use the interactive board to explore this position. Understanding Opposition is much easier when you can visualize the pieces in action.
8/8/4k3/8/4K3/8/8/8 w - - 0 1In-Depth Explanation
Opposition is a fundamental endgame technique. When two kings face each other with a single square between them on a file, rank, or diagonal, the player who does not have to move holds the opposition. This often decides whether a passed pawn can be escorted to promotion. Related ideas include distant opposition, diagonal opposition, and outflanking.
Recommended Tools
Frequently Asked Questions
With the opposition you can force the enemy king to give ground, open a path for your king, or shepherd a passed pawn to promotion.
Study king-and-pawn endings in the analysis board and work through basic mates and pawn races. Our endgame blog covers king-and-pawn techniques step by step.
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