Uncoupling in the endgame

Uncoupling is a description of the process by which, in the endgame, the board position tends to break up into separately understandable situations or regions.

This isn't something quite precise. (You might need to read deeply to ascertain that it has happened.) It disregards later ko fights, where ko threats anywhere on the board can affect a local fight. On the other hand it is the reason that the endgame is ultimately much more comprehensible than the rest of the game.

See also endgame coupling.