A pawn endgame occurs in chess when only pawns and kings remain on the board, often leading to a decisive outcome. The primary goal is to promote a pawn to a queen or another piece, which can significantly increase a player's chances of winning. Understanding pawn structure and the concept of opposition is crucial in this phase of the game. In a pawn endgame, players must carefully calculate moves to either advance their own pawns or block the opponent's progress. Key strategies include creating passed pawns, which are pawns that have no opposing pawns in front of them, and using the king effectively to support pawn advancement.