1. [n]  the final stages of a chess game after most of the pieces have been removed from the board
2. [n]  the final stages of an extended process of negotiation; "the diplomatic endgame"

Endgame
Assailed by debilitating illnesses, Sarton recounts how at 79 she was forced to spend much of her energy trying to get well. She also covers the themes that have endeared her to so many readers: friendship, nature, and work.

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