Is Endgame strategy by Mikhail Shereshevsky accessible for beginners (~1000 level)? I heard someone say it was for ~1800+ but I would like a book on endgame technique. I heard good things about Van Perlo's Endgame Tactics book but I am also wondering if that is too advanced.
Any books on endgames?
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KevinOSh wrote:
Is Endgame strategy by Mikhail Shereshevsky accessible for beginners (~1000 level)? I heard someone say it was for ~1800+ but I would like a book on endgame technique. I heard good things about Van Perlo's Endgame Tactics book but I am also wondering if that is too advanced.
My opinion: Van Perlo is delightful but not so instructive. I also think absolute beginners need to start with how to mate K+R vs K and things like this. The next step is a thin and elementary endgame book explaining 2 or 3 basics for most types of endgames: opposition in K&P, how to blockade w opposite color bishops, how to win/draw with K+p+B vs K+B same color, a few examples where K+P's win vs K+R, etc. After these basics, I think books like endgame strategy are fine, even better than books like 'Rook Endings'. It takes me 30 minutes - 1 hour to work thru one example in Endgame strategy. That includes playing out on a board the theoretical [simplified] endgames to verify a claim that it is "clearly won/drawn". At the start of learning chess, the most common endgame you get is one where you are up piece(s). Ones where you win or draw by a razor thin margin ['theoretical ' ones] happen at much higher levels. --- My opinion only! -Bill
Dec 16, 2021
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#44
I second JogoReal's recommendation of:
Chess Endings: Essential Knowledge by Yuri Averbakh
It really is just what the title says. That is, everything essential and nothing more. Furthermore it is slim enough and so well laid out and explained that it is not intimidating (like most of the exhaustive endgame manuals such as Dvoretsky's or even Nunn's and especially the old cklassic by Reuben Fine) nor is it rambling and difficult to follow (like Pachman's) or a bit condescending like some of the structured courses.
There is no excuse for not learning the contents so well that you could re-write the book yourself from memory.
I am also rather fond of "Reinfeld on the Endgame" by Fred Reinfeld. It is neither comprehensive nor systematic, but it is very entertaining and enjoyable, and for that reason its lessons are more likely to be remembered.
p.s. Why would you take notice of a mere 1700 rated player's opinions? Well I peaked at just under 2200 when I was much younger and am still rated around 2000 OTB (smetimes a littel over, sometimes a little under) despite advancing years. I am pretty new to chess.com so I hope to achieve a more representative rating in a few months time.
EDIT: Just correcting typos. Not changing any content
In similar vein to the Reinfeld book, I particularly enjoyed The Greatest Ever chess endgames by Steve Giddins. As the title suggests it's a collection of classic endgames from Pillsbury - Gunsberg Hastings 1895 through to Kramnik - Shirov, Moscow, 2007 all arranged thematically; pawn endings, rook endings etc . The games are enjoyable and Giddins does a good job of making them instructive.
Barden also has a (old) thin book on endgames that I've worked through and liked.
Alexassw
What I do is this: I study endgames when I travel with a small travel/analysis set. I get thin books on endgames and go thru them. Thin means light and not overwhelming to study. I can actually finish them and want to open them. I have thicker , comprehensive books on my shelf but somehow having them there doesnt help my play as much as actually studying a thin book. Currently I'm going thru Nesis' book ''exchanging to win in the endgame'' -- I take along whatever thin endgame book is next up in my rotation. -Bill