When does the endgame start?

Does the endgame start after all the pieces are off the board?

Authors defines the endgame differently. But by any definition, when each side has at most one piece besides their king, you're in an endgame. That is precisely how Dvoretsky and Flear define the final phase of the game. Others say it starts even sooner.

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I don't think there's any one pure endgame definition, but you know you are in an endgame if:

 -- you want to activate your king.

 -- you no longer automatically want the initiative but must calculate whether you want to lose a move or not.

Generally, if the Queens are off the board, I'm thinking endgame.

Well, I couldn't imagine a game of chess continuing with no pieces on the board! JK

Some players might respond with "when the Queens come off" but this seems to be an overly-simplified definition. There are Queen endgames and the Queens can come off in the early middlegame. A definition that I read somewhere that I really like went something like this:

"The endgame ensues when the safety of the King stops being a central concern and the participation of the King as an active piece becomes an integral part of the game."

For some reason, I generally feel the endgame has started when each side has three or less pieces (not counting Kings and Pawns). I don't know why, I just feel that way.

When the middle game is over.

It starts when the game begins to end ;)

That's true, the second part of my quote is almost identical.

I really like the first half because I think it offers a great guide as to when you should bring your King out. Most beginners know that they should centralize their King in the endgame, but many bring it out too early and get into dangerous situations, or are overly cautious and lose valuable ground to the opponent's King. I struggled with this for quite awhile. It still takes experience to know when the right moment has come, but it is important to know what to look for. "When King safety stops being a central concern" hit home for me.

Usually when I've lost. If I survive the opening and middlegame I consider it a moral victory.

as a very genaral rule after 30 moves, but of course it varies,

Ive heard the description that when both sides (or just one, I guess!) have 13 points or less remaining on the board, the endgame has begun. However, I prefer to use the King's role in play as my endgame guideline.

When there is no mating chance end games take on

That is as concise a definition as there is.  So BorgQueen got it right as well.  Thanks for all the comments

When the middlegame is over...

When the kings can come out and play an active role is a usual answer, but even then there are in between cases like Q+R vs Q+R. It's sort of a middlegame, sort of an endgame.

It starts when you are thinking "I have to promote that pawn"

It could start after the first move there's no "real" basis when it should start.

it starts when you try to win on time in a losing position

The "Endgame" has already started (I am referring to the Avengers movie) and has probably ended as well.