Practical Endgame Play - Beyond the Basics


Book Description

Here... at long last... we have it. A new type of endgame book. A book which explains how to handle those positions that frequently occur in practical play but, curiously, are hardly ever the subject of theoretical works. Most endgame books rely upon recycling established theory on basic positions, or concentrate on fantastical studies. This one is different. Well known Grandmaster and endgame expert Glenn Flear examines in depth all endgames which feature either two pieces for each side, or two pieces against one. Why is this an important subject? Because these situations arise surprisingly frequently in practical play. For example, an examination of any big database will reveal that the endgame of rook and minor piece versus rook and minor piece arises in nearly 20% of games. That means that if you open with 1 e4, you are more likely to reach one of these endgames than you are to face the French Defence. And overall, every time you sit down to play a game of chess, there is nearly a 50% chance that you will reach one of the endgames covered in this book. If you can handle such endgames well, your results will inevitably improve. This book will show you how.




Practical Endgame Play - Mastering the Basics


Book Description

A comprehensive guide to all fundamental chess endings, and a godsend for those looking to improve their endgame play. Crucially, the emphasis is just as much on practical play as it is on theoretical understanding.




Mastering Endgame Strategy


Book Description

Hellsten focuses exclusively on endgame play and covers every type of endgame: pawn, rook, minor piece and queen endgames. He examines many fundamental positions that everyone needs to know, as well as the key themes and characteristics of successful endgame play.




Practical Endgame Play


Book Description

If one were to do a survey of club and tournament players to determine which areas of the game they feel that they are weak in, there is little doubt that most would admit to poor endgame play However, while these players would happily spend an afternoon looking at the latest variation of their favorite opening, few spend any time at all studying the endgame. 'Endgame books are just too boring, ' they would say. Not this one! Here, International Master Neil McDonald provides a fresh approach to endgame, concentrating on practical aspects that all players will find useful. This is the ideal handbook for club and tournament players, using games by Kasparov, Anand and others to explain the principles of endgame play, and employing a thematic approach to demonstrate typical endgame motifs. Neil McDonald is also the author of Positional Sacrifices and Modern Chess Miniatures (both of which are available from Cadogan)




Mastering Chess Strategy


Book Description

Grandmaster Johan Hellsten is convinced that mastering chess strategy - just like chess tactics - requires practice, practice and yet more practice! This outstanding book is a product of his many years' work as a full-time chess teacher, and is specifically designed as part of a structured training programme to improve strategic thinking. It focuses on a wide range of key subjects and provides a basic foundation for strategic play. Furthermore, in addition to the many examples, there's an abundance of carefully selected exercises which allow readers to monitor their progress and put into practice what they have just learned. Following such a course is an ideal way for players of all standards to improve. Although designed mainly for students, this book is also an excellent resource for chess teachers and trainers. An essential course in chess strategyContains over 400 pages of Grandmaster adviceIncludes more than 350 training exercises




How to Play Chess Endgames


Book Description

In this companion volume to Fundamental Chess Endings, M�ller and Pajeken focus on the practical side of playing endgames. They cover all aspects of strategic endgames, with particular emphasis on thinking methods, and ways to create difficulties for opponents over the board. Using hundreds of outstanding examples from modern practice, the authors explain not only how to conduct 'classical' endgame tasks, such as exploiting an extra pawn or more active pieces, but also how to handle the extremely unbalanced endings that often arise from the dynamic openings favoured nowadays. All varieties of endgames are covered, and there are more than 200 exercises for the reader, together with full solutions. Major topics include: * Basic Principles and Methods * Activity * Schematic Thinking * The Fight for the Initiative * Prophylaxis and Preventing Counterplay * The Bishop-Pair in the Endgame * Domination * The Art of Defence * Typical Mistakes * Rules of Thumb




Chess Endgame Training


Book Description

This is an endgame manual with a difference. As soon as a topic has been introduced and a few basic ideas discussed, you are immediately invited to immerse yourself in the subject by solving a series of relevant positions. The solutions to these positions feature a wealth of practical advice and further discussion of endgame principles and the key theoretical points. All the main types of endgames are covered: pawn endings, minor-piece endings, rook endings and queen endings. Rosen discusses important elements in endgame strategy, such as pawn-structure, passed pawns, space advantage, breakthrough and Zugzwang. Endgames are often highly tactical, and this is reflected throughout this book in exercises that require precise calculation, and in sections devoted to typical tactical themes. There is a wealth of exercises throughout the book.




The 100 Endgames You Must Know Workbook


Book Description

Jesus de la Villa’s worldwide bestseller 100 Endgames You Must Know successfully debunked the myth that endgame theory is complex and endgame books are necessarily tedious. Reviewers praised its clarity and completeness and thousands of players significantly improved their endgame understanding (and their results!). In the past couple of years, De la Villa’s students sometimes complained that when they had to apply what they had studied in 100 Endgames, they didn’t have the material ready at their fingertips. And De la Villa made an important discovery: most of their errors had already been made by others as well, even by strong and sometimes famous chess players! De la Villa started collecting training material and selected those exercises best suited to retain your knowledge and avoid common errors. In this book the Spanish grandmaster presents hundreds of exercises grouped according to the various chapters in 100 Endgames. Solving these puzzles will drive home the most important ideas, refresh your knowledge and improve your calculation skills. This book contains a massive amount of clear, concise and easy-to-follow chess endgame instruction. The advice De la Villa gives in the solutions is practical and useful. Ideal for every post-beginner, club player and candidate master who wishes to win more games.




Understanding Chess Endgames


Book Description

One of the world's foremost chess writers provides everything you need to know about chess endgames! Assuming no specialized endgame knowledge, John Nunn presents 100 key endgame concepts, and explains how they are used to win games or save difficult positions. He covers all the main types of endgames and typical thinking methods, and so equips readers with all the skills needed to excel in this vital phase of the game up to good club level and beyond. The endgame is the stage of the game where precision is most important, and where errors are punished most drastically. It is also deceptive: many endgame positions look too simple to require prior knowledge, but yet contain fiendish concealed pitfalls that can reverse the result of the game on the spot. Some key positions simply have to be memorized, as they can hardly be worked out at the board, especially when playing with today's faster time-controls. In such perilous terrain, an expert guide is necessary. John Nunn could not be better qualified: he is a battle-hardened grandmaster of top-level over-the-board chess and a solving world champion. From his wealth of endgame expertise, he has distilled a course of fundamental knowledge that is highly targeted on practical success for all levels of players.




Mastering the Endgame


Book Description

This book enables keen students to improve their understanding of the endgame. It develops themes originally discussed in Improve Your Endgame Play.