Chess Patterns   ❯   King Techniques   ❯   Outflanking

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Outflanking

Outflanking

In chess, Outflanking is an endgame technique where one King moves laterally relative to the opponent's King, creating a file of separation between itself and the other King. This maneuver enables the outflanking King to advance towards its objective without the opposing King being able to block its path.

In the diagram above, White's objective is to escort the pawn to promotion. Black has just lost the opposition and moved the King from c7 to b7, so White advances their King with a first outflanking maneuver: 1.Kd6. Black retreats with 1...Kc8 and White regains the opposition with 2.Kc6 . Then, after Black's 2...Kb8, White performs the final outflanking maneuver with 3.Kd7. Now the pawn can proceed safely to promotion.

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Master the Outflanking Technique

When we started adding a playful touch to chess learning, we looked through thousands of videos and hundreds of books to find the best resources out there. Here's our curated selection of the best content we encountered on the Outflanking technique. We also included some smaller creators who are growing fast and we believe deserve your attention. Check out these resources if you want to master this important endgame technique.

 
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