Fundamental Chess Endings: A New One-volume Endgame Encyclopaedia for the 21st Century (Paperback)

The chief help for me, a beginner, is the visual aid in the diagrams. There are stars to mark Key Squares, circles to mark critical squares, numbers to mark corresponding squares, different kind of "lines" drawn on the board to show you the advantageous positions (like the Troitsky line).

In the simple mates, King , bishop and knight v. King, the path of the knight is drawn on the board to make for accuracy; the three phases of the mate are explained in great detail, so you can follow its complexity well on your own board, and learn it (I took a day to learn to master this difficult mate).

It is a stimulating book, expounding master's knowledge in a clear way - I did not say "simple", because you will have to work at the examples; the examples are well explained.

There are plenty of exercises, with annotated extensive solutions, to challenge your acquired knowledge A good bibliography refers to classics like Averbakh's series of study on the endgame in five volumes in Russian and in six volumes in German!!

It even touches, although only fleetingly, on the theory of corresponding squares.More could have been written on this interesting visual approach, but space is limited.

The book is compiled with the aid of computer technology for accuracy, BUT, and it is a big but, this is a human book, not a dry manual. It is a fascinating study (albeit a study, and this implies work, the result of which you should see fairly quickly). Already from the few pages I have begun to study, I have seen myself thinking in a more combinational way.

Buy this book if you are a chess lover, it will help you. This is directed to beginners and intermediate players.You will not find it boring.

(Were you not to like such a comprehensive text, they mention another good reference. although more simplified, it is : "Essential Chess endings" by James Howell. B.T.Batsford, 1997 - the latter could serve as a summary of the book reviewed)

Get It! And become strong! It is worth the price!(Algebraic notation, of course)

If you're not into endgame study but want to improve your game (i.e. win more) this book will help you do that as well because you don't have to read everything. Your playing style may result in just a few types of endings, and you can easily find study material here specifically for the endgames you're likely to play. This also means this book can be useful for the whole of your chess playing life as your style changes.

This book has all that plus a LOT more, you will find every "commonly" reached endgame and a clear explanation (with plenty of variations) on the right way to play it. You should study this book no matter what your level of play is ad you will get a clear edge against your opponents that have not done so!