Minor piece endgames are decided by piece activity, pawn structure, and king placement. Both knights and bishops are worth approximately three points, but their value depends on the position. Knights excel in closed positions with locked pawn structures but are weak when pawns exist on both sides of the board. Bishops excel in open positions and are particularly strong on both colors, where they can travel freely. A good bishop is one that is mobile and not blocked by its own pawns, while a bad bishop is hemmed in by friendly pawns on its color. Fixing pawns on the opposite color of your bishop renders those pawns permanently untouchable by it. Opposite-colored bishops tend to produce drawish positions because the bishops cannot attack one another, while same-colored bishops offer more winning chances since they can attack each other's pawns.
The K+B+N vs K mate is a classic minor-piece endgame win that requires precise technique. The W-maneuver is a knight maneuver that drives the enemy king toward the correct corner, namely the corner matching the bishop's color. The defender's king is gradually forced to the edge and mated by bishop and knight cooperation. In K+N+P endgames, the knight is best placed supporting the pawn from in front. In K+B+P endgames, the bishop's main job is to control the promotion square; the "wrong bishop," which is a bishop of the opposite color from the promotion square, cannot escort a rook pawn to promotion, and the position is drawn if the defender's king reaches the corner.
Queen endgames introduce more complexity. K+Q vs K+R is generally winning for the queen but requires technical accuracy. The Q vs R Philidor position is a defensive setup that is sometimes drawable. K+R+B vs K+R is theoretically winning but technically demanding, while K+R+N vs K+R is generally drawn with proper defense. Against two minor pieces, the queen has a slight edge if she can coordinate; Q vs B+N is often winning for the queen, while Q vs R+B and Q vs R+N are often drawn with passive defense. Two rooks coordinated together can defend against a queen, while the queen has perpetual check ideas. The curious two knights vs pawn paradox notes that a pawn on the board can actually help the stronger side win because it serves as a target to blockade. The principle of one diagonal reminds the player that a bishop controls a whole diagonal, so pieces should be placed on the bishop's color to maximize its reach, while an outside passed pawn can distract the enemy king and let one's own king capture the remaining material.