Getting better at chess!? #2 the endgame
As I explained in part 1, I like to tell you about my chess-training and my attempts to become a little better in playing chess, especially OTB. As a result of my first OTB 15-minutes-tournament, I will have a closer look at the endgame in the upcoming weeks.
I give a short summary of my plan:
step 1: basic or "exact" endings
step 2: multi-piece or so called "practical" endings
step3: endgames as the last stage of a game
After each step I will take a look at my recent blitz, standard and online games. I will have a close look at the occuring endgames and seek mistakes I made, positions I played wrong and will think about better moves and strategies.
step 1: basic or "exact" endings
books I am using: Jesus de la Villa: 100 Endgames You Must Know, New In Chess 2008 and Jeremy Silman: Silman`s complete endgame course, German translation, New In Chess 2008
I can recommend both books. Silman is easier to understand, funny to read and explains endgames of lower levels pretty good. He always gives you great motivation to go on with learning. Best thing is: for each rating he gives the basic endings you should know. That helps a lot!
The book from de la Villa on the other hand is more scientific and more difficult. Most of the endings in this book are for people with a rating from 1900/2000 up to 2400, as he sais himself on page 11. But he gives a long and interesting introduction to the endgames (20 pages!). In the first chapter he explains 9 endgames everyone should know, followed by a basic test. Then he names 14 endgames you should learn as a second step - thats what I am doing right now.
Both books emphasize the importants of rook-endings. De La Villa shows, that 10% of the games in his database involve a rook-ending. "If you have a bad rook-ending technique", you should be worried.":D
So I learned the Philidor- and the Lucena-Position, which recommends for players at 1800-1900. But as de la Villa tells me, things get more complicated from here... (I will continue right here very soon!)
step 2: multi-piece or so called "practical" endings
Books I am using: Artur Yusopov: Build up your chess 2, Beyond the basics, Quality Chess 2008 Edmar Mednis: Gewinne das Endspiel! (engl. practical endgame lessons(?)) John Nunn: Tactical Chess Endings (German edition: Taktische Schachendspiele), Falkenverlag 1985
step3: endgames as the last stage of a game
books I am using here: Irving Chernev: Capablanca`s Best Chess Endings - 60 complete games, DoverPublications 1978 and Garri Kasparov: My Great Predecessors, Volume 2: Capablanca, Euwe, Aljechin (German translation) Edition Olms2004
#2 - the endgame will be continued soon with some short explanations of Lucena and Philidor and some words about the more difficult "basic" rook endings.
Feel free to comment!
