The rook endgame section is the most useful.
Yes, the 125 pages covering 4 chapters in the middle of the book are rather useful. Just like when you pick up a Calculus textbook. Why start at Chapter 1? Everyone knows you start at Chapter 13, then go to Chapter 2, then 25 ...
It's the second section.
It's the second section.
Rook Endgames are Chapters 8-11 (at least in the 4th Edition, not sure what they've done in the 5th edition). If you look back at my original response, you would notice that I took the chapters in order and listed them for you :-)
Chapter 1: Pawn Endgames (you said you "know" this one)
Chapter 2: Knights vs Pawns
Chapter 3: Knight Endgames
Chapter 4: Bishop vs Pawns
Chapter 5: Opposite-colored Bishop Endgames
Chapter 6: Bishops of the Same Color
Chapter 7: Bishop vs Knight
Chapter 8: Rook vs Pawns (the first rook endgame chapter - and want to jump here next)
Chapter 9: Rook Endgames
Chapter 10: Rook vs Knight
Chapter 11: Rook vs Bishop
Chapter 12: Queen Endgames
Chapter 13: Queen vs Rook (arguably the last rook endgame chapter, but not all that useful since it is usually losing for the side with the rook)
Chapter 14: Other Material Relations
Chapter 15: General Endgame Ideas
Other than Rook endings, which are obviously the most frequently occurring endings and therefore most important to study, you should study Bishop vs. Knight endgames, because they are the second most frequent type of ending and learning them will get you a bigger bang for your buck than memorising a bunch of pawnless endings that are never going to happen in practical play. Also, don't listen to the guy telling you to leave rook endings till the end because they are the most important? that's the most ridiculous thing ive ever heard.
@Acid, you post with one account and answer yourself with another acccount!
If you already familiar with majority of basic theoretical endgames it's better for you to spend your time studying practical endgames. Ability to play practical endgames much more often will give you extra points in your games then your knowledge about rare theoretical positions. Strongest coaches saying that you don't need to study Dvoretsky book more or less in depth until master level because there are a lot for complicated theoretical endgames there which are relatively rare and which you'll forget anyway.
The rook endgame section is the most useful.
Yes, the 125 pages covering 4 chapters in the middle of the book are rather useful. Just like when you pick up a Calculus textbook. Why start at Chapter 1? Everyone knows you start at Chapter 13, then go to Chapter 2, then 25 ...