Efstratios Grivas – The Bishop Pair – Power of the Sun Endgame theory teaches us two fundamental issues: First, how to extract the maximum from a basic theoretical position with little material, where the experts (from practice comprising thousands of games) have reached definite conclusions. Second, the way in which we can handle an endgame, depending on the material remaining on the board, and the ideas and plans we should employ. The purpose of this series is to introduce the reader to advanced training concepts, using the same methods of presentation and instruction that were taught to great players by famous trainers that they have worked with. The series will start with the topic of “the Bishop Pair” and we will examine how to handle this “power of the sun” coupling. 248 Seiten, kartoniert Verlag Thinkers Publishing

Müller & Konoval: Understanding Rook Endgames   Endgames with rooks and pawns are the most frequently occurring in chess, arising in about 1 game in 10. If you learn an important technique in this endgame, chances are you will end up using it sooner or later. And there are a great many methods and concepts that can be mastered with a little effort. This book highlights the key themes in rook endings, and at each turn invites the reader to test his knowledge and skills with abundant exercises. Rook endgame theory does not stand still. New practical examples illustrate novel approaches as players seek to pose problems to their opponents – Magnus Carlsen has shown that even the driest-looking positions can feature deadly traps. The ongoing creation of new endgame tablebases – of which coauthor Yakov Konoval has been at the forefront – enables new classes of positions to be assessed with definitive certainty. Using six-man and the brand new seven-man tablebases, the authors re-examine many of the old evaluations and reach new and enlightening conclusions about classic rook endings. You will be startled and amazed, and soon discover that you are becoming a far more effective endgame player. German grandmaster Karsten Müller is arguably the world’s foremost writer on chess endgames. His ‘masterwork’, Fundamental Chess Endings, is a modern endgame ‘bible’ and was studied intensively in his youth by current World Champion Magnus Carlsen. Yakov Konoval is a Russian chess-player and programmer who studied at Mikhail Botvinnik’s chess school. He has written programs for solving chess problems and has pioneered new techniques for generating endgame tablebases.   287 Seiten, kartoniert, Verlag Gambit

Understanding = Mastery! Knowing the abilities and limitations of the minor pieces is very valuable for mastering the secrets of the royal game, and this can be studied best in the endgame. It is essential to understand the management of the long-range bishop, albeit confined to one color, as well as the short-range, ubiquitous knight. This book is the second volume in the authors’ acclaimed Understanding Endgames series. It follows a dual philosophy, like their previous work, Understanding Rook Endgames. It deals with seven-piece minor-piece endings in some detail. These endgames are often so deep that pre-tablebase analysis almost always contained errors. Many new discoveries are revealed here. In addition, the authors emphasize the important five- and six-piece endings every club player should know. But to really understand minor piece endings, these theoretical positions are of course not enough. Sub-chapters on the principles of each material configuration have therefore been added. Understanding Minor Piece Endgames will take you a long way to mastering these important endings. 384 Seiten, kartoniert, Verlag Russell

This is a book for those who have started to play chess and want to know how to win from good positions and survive bad ones. The endgame is where most games are decided, and knowing all the tricks will dramatically improve your results. Endgame specialist John Nunn has drawn upon his decades of experience to present the ideas that are most important in real games. Step by step he helps you uncover the key points and then add further vital knowledge. Chess Endgame Workbook for Kids is the third in a new series of books that help players gain chess skills by solving hundreds of carefully chosen exercises. The themes are similar to those in Gambit’s best-selling ‘Chess for Kids’ series, but the focus is on getting hands-on experience. Many positions build on ones given earlier, showing how advanced ideas are normally made up of simpler ones that we can all grasp. Each chapter deals with a particular type of endgame and features dozens of exercises, with solutions that highlight the key points. For each endgame we are given tips on the themes that are most important and the strategies for both sides. The book ends with a series of test papers that enable you to assess your progress and identify the areas that need further work. Dr John Nunn is one of the best-respected figures in world chess. He was among the world’s leading grandmasters for nearly twenty years and won four gold medals in chess Olympiads. In 2004, 2007 and 2010, Nunn was crowned World Chess Solving Champion, ahead of many former champions. 128 Seiten, gebunden, Verlag Gambit

There are many books devoted to basic endgames, even from the Middle Ages. Principles of typical endgames (such as keeping the rook behind a passed pawn, not setting pawns on the same colored squares as your bishop’s, distant pawns being more dangerous than central ones etc.) are well known too. But what about “complex endgames”? I have in mind endgames with at least two pieces on each side; well I don’t find them often nor sufficiently well-explained in the past! It is exactly this fact (together with my passion and great endgame experience) that has motivated me to write this book (many friends simply call me “Endgame Wizard” ). Over two decades of working as a coach has confirmed my opinion that endgames are the biggest problem for young players. Today, in the computer era with a lot of information easily provided, youngsters all over the world rather play blitz, or solve some tactical puzzles in a manner that is “the faster the better” (or even spend time on some other chess disciplines). All of this neglects the basis of chess – the importance of endgames! It is not uncommon that everyday you can be witness to some strange endgame misunderstanding, even at the top level. This is why I consider some of my favorite endgame books based on logic as the best I’ve ever read – I learned the endgame from some of the best endgame players and authors. And this is why I want to fill that gap in chess literature and to share my devotion, ideas, principles, opinions with you! I hope you will enjoy this material and I am pretty sure you will broaden your endgame horizons. 455 Seiten, kartoniert, Verlag Thinkers Publishing

he endgame is the most complicated erea of chess. In his book GM Rozentalis looks at some of the most important questions: the connection between the opening and the endgame, when to exchange, bishops against knights, be patient or just simplify. Along the way he gives a word of advice when to calculate as exactly as possible and when to rely on your acquired knowledge. This is his second extended edition. the edition was nominated "FIDE Chess Book" of 2016. 165 Seiten, kartoniert, Verlag Thinkers Publishing

People who are really, really good at something -  unbelievably good, incomprehensibly good, have always held a strong fascination for those fellow humans who are less extraordinarily gifted. In this respect chess does not differ from other areas of human endeavour.To many chess lovers watching the great champions do battle with each other is even more thrilling than actually playing the game themselves. This book is about the greatest chess players who ever lived, who dominated their era and were looked upon as World Champions even at a time when this term, this very concept, did not yet exist. On the basis of a short biography, a selection of their most famous games and a brief characteristic of their playing style I will attempt to illuminate what made these great players great and what their significance is for the chess world. This will also give an overview of how chess itself has developed over the past two and a half centuries: how it has essentially remained the same, yet changed almost beyond recognition.Content:009 Chapter 1 - François-André Danican Philidor013 Chapter 2 - The match La Bourdonnais - McDonnell, 1834017 Chapter 3 - London1851, The First Tournament023 Chapter 4 - Paul Morphy029 Chapter 5 - Wilhelm Steinitz039 Chapter 6 - Emanuel Lasker055 Chapter 7 - José Raúl Capablanca067 Chapter 8 - Alexander Alekhine077 Chapter 9 - Max Euwe091 Chapter 10 - The Hague - Moscow 1948, A New Beginning099 Chapter 11 - Mikhail Botvinnik111 Chapter 12 - Vasily Smyslov123 Chapter 13 - Mikhail Tal135 Chapter 14 - Tigran Petrosian149 Chapter 15 - Boris Spassky165 Chapter 16 - Robert James Fischer183 Chapter 17 - Anatoly Karpov197 Chapter 18 - Garry Kasparov215 Chapter 19 - Vladimir Kramnik231 Chapter 20 - Viswanathan Anand245 Chapter 21 - Magnus Carlsen259 Chapter 22 - Epilogue260 Seiten, kartoniert, Verlag Thinkers Publishing

Snape: Chess Endings made Simple Most chess-players are all too painfully aware of how many half-points and even full points they squander due to poor endgame play. However, they tend to imagine that improving their endgame play involves a massive amount of study of dry technical positions, and prefer to spend their time on other aspects of the game, perhaps in the unrealistic hope of avoiding endgames entirely. In this book, Ian Snape helps them to tackle endgames with more confidence, so that they look forward to playing them, and are more willing to simplify when this is the best course of action. The first half of the book discusses the areas of endgame theory that are most relevant to practical success. The second half features 100 exercises for the reader to solve, together with full solutions. All the exercises are taken from real games. Ian Snape enjoyed considerable success in junior chess before concentrating on a career in banking, but has returned to the game in the last decade. In correspondence chess he has qualified as an ICCF International Master and registered a grandmaster norm. Over the board, he has played in the British Championship on three occasions and competes regularly in league chess and other events. "There is some good, commonsense advice about how to approach various endgame set-ups, both as attacker and defender" - John Saunders, BRITISH CHESS MAGAZINE "Great news - the most useful chess book of the year (at least for most players below 2300) has just arrived" - CHESSCOUNTRY.COM 144 Seiten, kartoniert, Verlag Gambit

If you are aware of endgame patterns, you spot key moves quicker, analyse and calculate better, avoid making errors and memorize what you have studied more fully.Most of the patterns Jesus de la Villa presents in this new book are from the phase of the game just before a theoretical endgame turns up. Knowing these practical endgame fundamentals will enable you to fully reap the benefits of what you learned in De la Villa’s widely acclaimed classic 100 Endgames You Must Know.Studying patterns only makes sense if you are going to encounter them frequently. De la Villa presents those that have the greatest practical importance and explains and illustrates them with carefully selected examples. To show the patterns as clearly as possible, he mainly concentrates on positions in which both sides have just one piece. Presenting positions withmore pieces risks blurring the picture and making motifs less straightforward.The fact that players think in patterns has an important side-effect: their endgame errors tend to repeat themselves. That’s why De la Villa has not just included examples from games of elite GM’s but also of amateurs. Errors are always instructive and working with this book will seriously reduce the number of typical mistakes you are prone to make. The many practical exercises that De la Villa has selected will help you improve and retain what you have learned. Jesus de la Villa (1958) is an International Grandmaster born in Spain. He has won the Spanish Championship twice and is a well-known chess coach. De la Villa is the author of the world-famous bestsellers 100 Endgames You Must Know and The 100 Endgames You Must Know Workbook. 464 Seiten, kartoniert, Verlag New In Chess

Goethe once wrote, “Everything is both simpler than we can imagine, and more complicated than we can conceive.” He could well have had chess endgames in mind. Endgames have fewer pieces on the board than middlegames but this does not necessarily make them “easier” to play or understand. Tactical expertise is, understandably, generally associated with middlegame (and sometimes opening) positions. However, tactics are also crucial in endgames – a point that is sometimes overlooked. Even some quite simple looking pawn endgames can feature complex tactical ideas. Tactics in endgames also tend to be very different to middlegame tactics. As well as the familiar themes of pins, skewers and forks, endgames also feature unique concepts that rarely occur in middlegames such as pawn breakthroughs, manoeuvring for zugzwang and active use of the king as an aggressive unit. In this book the highly experienced chess author and coach Cyrus Lakdawala guides the reader through the complexities of endgame tactical play. Lakdawala assembles positions that are most effective to improve tactical ability. Work your way through this book and you will undoubtedly see the results in your own games. Cyrus Lakdawala is an International Master, a former National Open and American Open Champion, and a six-time State Champion. He has been teaching chess for over 30 years, and coaches some of the top junior players in the U.S. 444 Seiten, kartoniert, Verlag Everyman

Rook endgames are the most important to study, because they are the type of endgame you will face most often over the board. Working on rook endgames gives the biggest bang for your buck.   World-class grandmaster Sam Shankland explains technical rook endgames in a way that is clearer, better organized, more concise, and easier to understand than any previous work. After learning the vital set positions, the reader is offered lots of rules and guidelines to correctly assess any theoretical rook endgame they have not yet memorized.   Theoretical Rook Endgames is the ideal guide to a vital topic in chess. After reading this book, you will know which positions must be memorized, and which positions are best handled by considering general principles.   The sister volume – Conceptual Rook Endgames by Jacob Aagaard – shows how the theoretical knowledge shown in the present book is used in advanced practical play.   GM Sam Shankland is the 2018 US Champion, 2016 Olympiad gold medal winner for teams and 2014 individual gold medal winner. He has played Board 1 for the US in the World Team Championship and competed with the best players in the world in Wijk aan Zee, St. Louis, Prague and elsewhere.  448 Seiten, gebunden, Verlag Quality Chess

Improve Your Opening Play by Chris Ward Improve Your Middlegame Play by Andrew Kinsman Improve Your Endgame Play by Glenn Flear These three titles, brought together for the first time in one volume, explain the important ideas behind every major opening, provide an understanding of the middlegame to the aspiring player and tips to all players wishing to improve their endgame play. Chris Ward unravels the secrets of the Sicilian, the mysteries of the Modern and the fundamentals of the French. He emphasises the need to understand the key elements of each opening rather than simply memorise a series of complicated variations which leave you stranded if the opponent varies from the expected route. Andrew Kinsman uses examples from practical play to develop tactical and positional skills and awareness to enable you to make the most of your opportunities in the middlegame. Glenn Flear explains the fundamental principles which must be mastered in the endgame. Taking examples from his own games and those of other players, he shows how drawn positions can be converted into victories and lost positions saved at the last moment. Deals with every important opening Explains the basic ideas of tactical and positional play Provides numerous exercises for readers to test themselves Explains the important principles of every type of ending Easy step-by-step guide to better endgame play Revolutionary layout to help readers absorb key ideas 143 + 144 + 160 Seiten, kartoniert, Verlag Everyman

In this widely acclaimed chess classic, Russian trainer Mikhail Shereshevsky explains how to master the most important endgame principles. Where other endgame manuals focus on the basics and theoretical endgames, this book teaches the ‘big ideas’ that will help you find the most promising and most practical moves in any endgame. Even in endgames, it helps to think schematically instead of trying to calculate every move. To maximize your winning chances, this invaluable manual will teach you these lessons: Do not hurry Centralize your king Fight for the initiative Exploit two weaknesses Exchange the right pieces at the right moment  Endgame Strategy is considered to be one of the most important endgame manuals. In comparison with the 1981 publication, this new edition has been thoroughly revised and the author has added dozens of new and inspiring positions. The book is highly recommended by club players, coaches, and grandmasters alike. ‘I especially read the chapter “Do not hurry!” with pleasure; not just because I agree with what he says, but more importantly because it defines the playing style of Magnus Carlsen,’ said Grandmaster Simen Agdestein, long-time trainer of the Norwegian World Champion. 368  Seiten, kartoniert, Verlag New In Chess

If you want to improve your middlegame play, you will have to develop a FEEL for positions. That’s what Boris Zlotnik has been stressing during his long and rich trainer’s career. Clicking through concrete variations (a popular pastime in the computer era) is not enough. To guide your thinking during a game you should be able to fall back on a reservoir of typical ideas and methods. That is exactly what this book offers you: Zlotnik’s legendary study material about the middlegame, modernized, greatly extended and published in the English language for the first time. As you familiarize yourself with the most important strategic ideas and manoeuvres in important basic opening structures, you will need less time to discover the clues in middlegame positions. You will find it so much easier to steer your game in the right direction after the opening has ended. Zlotnik’s Middlegame Manual is accessible to a wide range of post-beginners and club players. It is your passport to a body of instructive material of unparalleled quality, collected during a lifetime of training and coaching chess. A large collection of exercises, carefully chosen and didactically tuned, will help you drill what you have learned. With a foreword by Fabiano Caruana. Boris Zlotnik is an International Master from Russia and a prominent chess trainer. For many years he was the director of the legendary Chess Department of the INEF College in Moscow. In 1993 he emigrated to Spain. One of his most successful pupils is Fabiano Caruana, who in 2004, as a 12-year-old, moved to Madrid with his entire family to live near his trainer. 400 Seiten, kartoniert, Verlag New In Chess