Endgame

What Is the Opposition in Chess?

The opposition is a king-versus-king standoff where the player who does not have to move controls the key squares.

Definition

The opposition occurs when the two kings stand on the same file, rank or diagonal with an odd number of squares between them — most often directly facing each other with one square in between. Whoever must move has to give way, letting the other king advance. Holding the opposition is the single most important technique in king-and-pawn endgames, and it decides whether many pawn endings are won or drawn.

Example

White's king is on e5 and Black's on e7, with Black to move. Black must step to d7 or f7, and White's king advances to the other side — gaining the ground needed to escort a pawn home.

How to spot it

  • Count the squares between the kings: an odd number means whoever is to move gives way.
  • Distant opposition works the same way over longer gaps on a file or rank.
  • Use spare pawn moves as waiting moves to hand the obligation back to your opponent.
  • Triangulation — walking your king around three squares — loses a tempo deliberately.

The mistake most players make

Advancing the pawn before the king. In most king-and-pawn endgames the king must lead and take the opposition first; pushing the pawn early usually lets the defender draw.

Frequently asked questions

What is the opposition in chess?

The opposition is when two kings face each other with an odd number of squares between them, so the player to move must step aside. Having the opposition means it is your opponent's turn in that standoff, which lets your king gain ground.

Why is the opposition important?

Because king-and-pawn endgames are decided by which king can advance. The side holding the opposition forces the enemy king to give way, which is usually the difference between promoting a pawn and settling for a draw.

Related terms

  • Zugzwang — Zugzwang is being forced to move when every available move makes your position worse.
  • Tempo — A tempo is a single unit of time — one move — and gaining or losing one often decides the opening.
  • Promotion — Promotion is a pawn reaching the far end of the board and becoming any piece you choose — almost always a queen.
  • Stalemate — Stalemate is when the player to move has no legal move and is not in check — the game is an immediate draw.

Practise this pattern

Definitions stick once you have seen the pattern in a real game. Solve tactics puzzles to train recognition, review one of your games to find where it came up, or ask the coach to explain it in a position you are looking at.