Chess endgames: who wins the won ones
Endgame advice usually starts with a book of positions to memorize. We took a different route. In 324,545 online games, every time a game reached five pieces or fewer (kings included), we checked the position against a tablebase: a finished table of every such position and its result with perfect play. That tells us, exactly, whether the player was winning, drawing or losing, and whether they kept it.
How we counted
An ending here is the first position in a game with five pieces or fewer. Won and drawn are the tablebase's verdict with perfect play, not an engine's estimate. An only move is a position where exactly one move keeps the result. Numbers are from rapid games (10 to 25 minutes) unless labeled. Ratings are Lichess ratings.
Stronger players get there more often
Players over 2000 reach a true endgame two and a half times as often.
| Rapid games that reached an ending of five pieces or fewer | Under 800 | 800–1199 | 1200–1599 | 1600–1999 | 2000+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.1% | 2.9% | 3.7% | 4.5% | 5.5% |
A player over 2000 reaches a true endgame two and a half times as often as a player under 800. Lower-rated games are decided earlier, by a lost piece or a mate. Stronger players' games last long enough for the endgame to matter.
And they win more of the won ones
Under 800, almost one won ending in three gets away. Over 2000, about one in eleven.
| Rapid endings | Under 800 | 800–1199 | 1200–1599 | 1600–1999 | 2000+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Won endings that were won | 69% | 81% | 87% | 89% | 91% |
| Drawn endings that were held | 77% | 81% | 81% | 85% | 87% |
| Only moves found | 80% | 76% | 83% | 86% | 91% |
Under 800, players let almost one won ending in three get away. Over 2000, about one in eleven. Holding a draw and finding the only move also climb, more gently.
In classical games the strong end goes further: players at 1600–1999 won 94% of their won endings, and players over 2000 held 97% of their drawn ones (smaller samples: 146 and 37 endings).
In fast games, the clock takes over
Rapid rewards skill. In bullet, every rating converts about three in four.
| Won endings that were won | Under 800 | 800–1199 | 1200–1599 | 1600–1999 | 2000+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rapid | 69% | 81% | 87% | 89% | 91% |
| Blitz | 82% | 81% | 86% | 88% | 82% |
| Bullet | – | 76% | 76% | 75% | 77% |
In bullet, everyone from 800 to 2000+ converts about three won endings in four. The difference between ratings disappears: with seconds left, the position stops mattering and the clock decides. Even in blitz, the top group slips back. Endgame skill shows when there's time to use it.
What this means for practice
Earlier, in How to get better at chess, we found that the late game isn't where the next rating is, move for move. That's still true: these endings come up in only a few games in a hundred. But when they do come up, they're decided by technique, and the gap between ratings is real.
One move wins. The natural one draws.
What to work on
- Learn the endings that decide games. King and pawn against king, and rook endings, are the most common. Know when a pawn ending is won before you trade into it.
- In a won ending, slow down. Before each move, check for stalemate and for every check your opponent has.
- Look for the only move. When the position is close, ask whether there's exactly one move that holds. The strongest players find it nine times in ten.
- Keep time for the end. In blitz and bullet, the clock decides more endings than technique does.
In your report: when your games reach these endings, the report checks them against the tablebase the same way and compares you with players at your rating.
Common questions
How do I get better at chess endgames? Learn the common endings (king and pawn, and rook endings), and slow down in won ones. In rapid games, players over 2000 won 91% of their won endings; players under 800, 69%.
How often do chess games reach an endgame? In rapid games, between 2% and 6% of games reach five pieces or fewer, rising with rating. Stronger players' games last longer, so they get there more often.
Do endgames matter in blitz and bullet? Less. In bullet, players at every rating from 800 to 2000+ convert about three won endings in four: the clock, not technique, decides.
About these numbers
- Games: 324,545 Lichess games from August 2026 with Lichess's own engine evaluations and clock times, players' names removed. Every position with five pieces or fewer was checked against the Syzygy tablebases, which give the exact result with perfect play.
- Rapid samples: 92 won endings under 800, 1,488 at 1200–1599, 505 at 2000+. Classical under 800 is too small to report.
- Results: players often ask for analysis of games that upset them, which could make spoiled endings more common in these games than in all games. The comparison between ratings is what this article relies on.
- Written and counted by Plysight. Updated twice a year.
See your own endings. Your last 200 games from chess.com or Lichess, or a PGN file. Free, no account.