Customer Reviews

Fundamental Chess Endings

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I feel wonderful to own this book.

see how master say about this book ?

Reviewed by John Donaldson

The increasing tempo at which games are being played today is putting a premium on good endgame skills. Twenty years ago it might have been sufficient to steer a favorable ending to adjournment, where the win could be carefully worked out with possible assistance from outside sources, but today you are on your own and the clock is ticking.

Fundamental Chess Endings by GM Karsten Mueller and IM Frank Lamprecht seeks to arm the reader with the necessary skills to play the endgame correctly. Any reader who manages to make it from one end to the other of this massive and attractively priced tome will no doubt make a quantum leap in their endgame play.

Realistically speaking I don't think many will, but the many diagrams, very helpful prose summaries and exercises to solve make this a book that any real chess player will want to delve into again and again in much the way that at an earlier endgame compendium by Speelman, Tisdall and Wade was. Now, the difference of course is that computers have made things much clearer and few areas remain gray.

One very impressive set of pages in the back of the book is a complete table of computer database results for pawnless endings where not only the general result is given, but also the longest win and longest reciprocal zugzwang. You probably will never reach the ending of Queen versus two minor pieces in your lifetime, but if you do Mueller and Lamprecht will show you that two knights are a draw and two Bishops and Knight and Bishop are lost. They will also point out that there exist fortress positions for each of the latter two endings where the defender can draw. In the case of Queen versus two Bishops the relevant position to know is W-Qe6 and Kb4 versus B-Kb7, Bb6 and Bc6. After 1.Qe7+ Kc8 2.Qe6+ Kb7 3.Qd6 Ba7 4.Qe7+ Kb6! 5.Qd8+ Kb7! 6.Ka5 Bc5 with ...Bb6+ to follow reestablishing the fortress. Was this analysis the product of a silicon
oracle? No! The Italian Giambattista Lolli figured it out in 1763!

I can recommend this book without reservation.

Apparently, the authors also wrote a book "Secrets of King and Pawn Endings". Now, by their own assertion, King and Pawn endings are the sine qua non of endgame expertise. So having said, you would expect the authors to offer an adequate number of such critical endings in the larger work "Fundamental Chess Endings", here under review. At least, if you are considering buying this book with the same purpose and expectation as I had when ordering it you will; and certainly the advertising seems to promise it. Alas friends, you're in for a disappointment: because the material on this topic is altogether inadequate to create an understanding of "the king and pawn foundations of endgame play". You will either have to locate a copy of Averbakh's work on King and Pawn Endings or pay Mr. Mueller and co-author more money for the material in THEIR king and pawn book, if you wish to study these positions. So, the question I would ask you is: if you pay thirty dollars for a purportedly exhaustive reference work on the end game, and then find yourself immediately looking for supplements, is it worth the money the authors ask for it? I am not at this point prepared to evaluate the other segments of the book, as I found Averbakh, and am working on that. However, on the basis of what I feel is a rip off, I cannot offer it any more than three stars.

This book will certainly make a huge impact in your play. It is absolutely great to be able to trade pieces in the midlegame when you know that the ensuing endgame is won for you and your opponent does the same because he does not see this! It is also very valuable to know certain theoretically drawn positions in order to avoid them when you have the edge, or seek them when you don't.

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!

wow simply wow, ummmm not sure what else to say 5 stars speak for themselfs, this is THE book on the end game and well worth the money

I'm an unrated amateur just beginning endgame study and I have found this book to be very helpful. In fact it contains the first explanation of the procedure for KBN v. K that I've read that was clear and simple enough to allow me to master this particular endgame. Although Pandolfini's Endgame Course is probably the best endgame book for beginners, it really just gives one position after another in an exercise format; it does not do a very good job of explaining general principles and procedures for you to generalize to your own games. Fundamental Chess Endings fills that hole very nicely. While I admit that it may be a bit heavy to serve as a beginner's only endgame source, it makes a perfect companion to - and greatly enhances my results from - Pandolfini. Between these two books I think I've found an ideal endgame course.

i highly recommend it for anyone who is willing to get their hands dirty and do the work to learn about the ending

Content:
This is a very thick (416 pages) and large book that combines all major types of endgames in one single volume. While at the heart of this book is a vast number of endgame positions classified by piece presents annotated in great detail, you will also find a lot of general terminology explained, many brief comments inserted in the analysis that help understand the general principles, thinking approach and other practical issues. After each chapter, you can practice several exercises.

Quality:
I dislike the use of softcover for such a thick and large book, I doubt it will hold up for a long. This is a shame, since, otherwise, this is a perfect edition. Nice clear diagrams, easy indicator whose move it is and what you are expected to do. Also, the text is easy to read and follow. Sometimes, when analysis go for more than 10 moves, having another diagram would really help. On the other hand, you really should use the chess board when studying, so this is not such a big issue. Authors are well known experts in combining endgame analysis on the chess board with the latest computer hardware and software. I have been through several examples and found very detailed analysis, good references to previous publications and timely general comments.

Who will benefit
There are many quality endgames books and software on the market. Whether or not you want to add this not [inexpensive] book to your library is up to you. I believe, that practically everyone above 1800, who is familiar with basic endgame principles and have good calculation skills, will benefit from going through this books. In fact I would suggest the following approach- set up each position on the board (or from the diagram in the book); find out whose move it is; develop plans for both sides; calculate variation as deep as you can; compare your plans and variation with the authors analysis.

Overall
An excellent book for home studying for experienced players who are familiar with basic endgames and have developed good calculation skills. If you still working on developing those, I would suggest - Alburt's "Just the Facts", Averbakh's "Chess Endings Essential Knowledge." For studying on the go, I would suggest Concise Chess Endings by McDonald.

Good luck,
Copyrighted by me

With quickplay finishes requiring most chess games to be finished in one sitting, having proper knowledge of the endgame is even more important. Adjournments for extensive analysis are thus abolished, requiring the player to have this crucial endgame knowledge at his (or her) fingertips. This book will help you attain that goal.

Please read what Grandmaster Lubosh Kavalek had to say (November 25, 2002 Washington Post chess column)

"An endgame book does not often win a prestigious award, but "Fundamental Chess Endings" by Karsten Muller and Frank Lamprecht and issued by Gambit Publications in London, could not have been overlooked by the judges of the British Chess Federation's 2002 Book of the Year Award. The clearly written volume honored by the BCF was conceived as a textbook, divided into 12 chapters with exercises. It has been meticulously checked by computer programs, correcting mistakes and some myths of the past. I wish the book had been around in the '60s, '70s or '80s when players could have learned endgames by adjourning them and consulting such a manual."

The British Chess Federation has pick this book as book of the year. What more do you need to know?

This book is stunning beyond all words! These guys used endgame tablebases to completely classify all endgame knowledge. Every single thing you could imagine is in this book. Oddly enough, unlike, say, NCO or MCO, it's a very readable encyclopedia. You could get lost in this thing for years. It makes me want to start a whole sub-branch of the ICC where you play nothing but endgames and get an endgame rating. This book is achingly beautiful.