Endgame Difficulty

Lately I am discovering how many difficulties I have in playing a good endgame. If I am able to gain points in the middle game by capturing extra pawns or even pieces, I cant manifest this advantage in the finale. A common strategy when we have extra pawns or even pieces in the middle game is to exchange everything and win in the endgame. Provided one knows how to win though! Because try to win an endgame with 2 or 3 extra pawns! 1 extra pawn is tricky, it can very easily end in draw. We learned the other day in the chess-club how to achieve draw if you are left with just the king (say black) and the opponent has his king and one pawn (say white). Black's worry should be to get to the square in front of the pawn and gradually to the promoting square. If white's king is behind the pawn and with blacks correct play, it ends in draw. If the king of the white is in front of the pawn, white wins.

I might need to get some books on the endgame because it is making my life miserable :))!!!

I remember about 8 years ago, we had learned 10 basic rules for the endgame in the chess-club, but I have forgotten them all apart from the first one which was to get the king moving and to the center.

I think we spend too much time in chess trying to learn how to capture more pieces that we forget to learn how to play strategical chess and win.