Having all the technical endgames under one cover alone makes the book very useful, but it even doubles its value by maximizing your results whether you are defending or pressing. For the drawn ones, which covers cases where one side is down in material or concedes some other advantage, he gives the fool-proof method of holding the draw. For the winning ones, Howell gives the fastest, most efficient, and often only way to win. This book contains just about all the technical endgames that need to be mastered, especially those that arise from King and Pawn and Rook and Pawn endgames. By technical endings, we mean those whose results are either conclusively a win or a draw with correct play. Fine’s book may take patience to work through, and if you’re pressed for time or wish to take your endgame skill to a good level as quickly as possible, then Howell’s book is the way to go.Īs far as studying technical endgames are concerned, this book may be the best you will ever come across. Howell’s book is every bit as good as Fine’s, except that Howell prunes down his coverage only to the most essential endings, those that you are really likely to encounter. If Fine’s Basic Chess Endings is the quintessential reference material, then James Howell’s Essential Chess Endings is the ultimate instructional manual. It remains as one of the definitive endgame books, even if many others aided by modern technology have come after it. In all, this book is a wonder of chess literature, given its breadth and scholarly treatment of the endgame. Still, this book gets many of its lessons right, and playing through the chapters with a strong computer program will do away with its few inaccuracies. The obvious downside of very old books, of course, is that they have not been computer-checked. It speaks directly and clearly, giving the same feel of its contemporary counterparts. Surprisingly, it reads light and breezy, too, when many books of its age tend to be linguistically awkward and flowery. You can research actual game or tournament endings with it, or read it from cover to cover as part of your long-term study plan. The book, moreover, is a perfect a cross between an endgame reference material and an instructional text. Fine explains all these endgames very clearly, and often formulates rules for many positions that are very easy to remember. It includes just about any conceivable endgame, from King and Pawn, Rook and Pawn, Bishop and Pawn, Knight and Pawn, Minor pieces, Rook vs. Since its publication in 1941, it served as the ultimate reference book for generations of chess players until about the dawning of computers.įine’s book is a true classic for its completeness and clarity. Reuben Fine’s magnum opus, Basic Chess Endings, is one of the first great endgame books. With that said, let me share eight books that not only superbly teach the endgame but also ingeniously entertain.
The endgame is as important as the opening and the middlegame, and studying it without feeling condemned to boredom is a matter of finding the right books.
The stuff that you commit to mind and memory are always those of everyday and tournament play. Studying the opening and middlegame always has you wondering whether the information gained could soon prove useful, but not when it comes to the endgame. Winning and drawing technical endgames are an exact science, and the moments spent mastering them are never wasted.
Personally, I love endgames and studying them is always well-worth my time and effort. Many, however, find the study of endgames to be tedious, and most endgame books to be very dry and technical. Someone as great as the Cuban World Champion Jose Raul Capablanca said that the endgame must be studied before anything else, for the opening and middlegame must always be played to arrive at winning endgames. Quite indisputably, we have always been sorely divided over the value of studying endgames. As far as chess training goes, the endgame has probably driven the deepest wedge among chess players.
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