In king and pawn endgames, an easy win can turn into a loss without the understanding how opposition works. In this lesson, we will look at what opposition is.

Take a look at the below position (note that there are no other pieces on the board except the two kings as this is to demonstrate opposition). If it is white’s turn, he can get opposition. If it is black’s turn, black can get opposition.

So you may be wondering how white can get the opposition if its white’s turn or how black can get opposition if its black’s turn. Here is how:

When a king moves to an opponent king in such a way that the move results in an odd number of squares between the two kings, the king that has moved has gained the opposition.

In other words, after you move your king, if there is an odd number of squares between your king and your opponent’s king, you have the opposition.

So, in the above position, if it is white’s turn, how can he move so that there is an odd number of squares between the white king and the black king.

Ke3! As seen in the image, there is now exactly one square between the two kings, and as one is an odd number, white has the opposition.

In the original position, if it was black’s turn, how can black attain opposition?

Kd5! Again, there is only one square between the two kings, and as one is an odd number, black has the opposition. It is important to note that black has the opposition in the above position and not white because black is the one who moved so that there is one square between the kings.

Let’s take a look at another example. If it is white’s turn, how can white gain the opposition?

The correct answer is Ke2. This is because once white moves his king to e2, there are exactly five squares between the white king and the black king. As five is an odd number, white has gained the opposition.

Great job! Now you know how opposition works. In the next lesson, we’ll take a look at how to apply opposition in a real endgame position.

Opposition

Understanding the King and Pawn Race

The Ruy Lopez