Which endgames should I study from Silman's book?

Dear Everybody,

so this is my first time posting in this forum. I've been reading Silman's course of endgames. It's a great book, very understandable. I was wondering if it makes sense for a total beginner like me to study the whole book or just what Silman claims in the index is adequate for my rating. I already know basic endgames like rook, queen and bishops. But according to Silman, because of my rating I shouldn't bother with pawn endgames, opposition, etc... However, I went through with some of the pawn endgames in the book and it was pretty clear and easy to understand. My question being, if I should stick to the basic endgames for now, go through with the rest (and to which point do you think I should go) and basically if Silman's division of endgames by rating makes sense or shouldn't care about it.

Thanks a lot in advance!

Don't study the whole book at the moment, but you can definitely study one chapter above your rating. I would recommend you to study up to Endgames for Class D (1200-1399) as long as you are able to understand everything, it will be useful.

I'd follow SIlman's recommendations. Some of the rook endgames are much tougher than a simple King and pawn endgame. I think it's important to realize how often you're getting to these kind of endgames. At your level that's likely not going to happen almost ever. You'll almost always be a piece up or have more than 1 pawn advantage. That's why for lower ratings it's so much more effective (for improving) to study tactics and a bit of middlegame strategy. If you can prevent losing pieces and are better at winning theirs, you'll win more games, right up to the point where there will start to be some endgames where some technique would be important. But then you'd be at a rating where Silman would actually have you study those endgames too.

Note: when I was training my pupils I also followed Silman's recommendation for them. 

Thank you! In fact, I've been reading class D endgames lately, though I was a bit interested in more advanced concepts like triangulation, I hope I can understand it.

Yes. That is kind of a disappointment, I like pawn endgames, I find them interesting and amusing, but unfortunately, hardly ever my opponents get to that stage, we often end up checkmating each other in the middlegame. That or resigning after a couple blunders. I keep doing tactics puzzles anyway, and I started to notice that some of the most common puzzles I used them in matches, noticing the same pattern. Anyway, thanks a lot for your answer!

"Total beginner"?

Your first 2 games didn't look like those of a total beginner and that was months ago.

I think (iirc) Silman gave some leeway in the approach. If you understand, there shouldn't be much issue studying a little further.

His rating tiers aren't based on online ratings. A complete beginner playing online and at the time controls you've played (1091 Daily) puts you in Class D in just a few games.

Finish that section and move on to the next. You might consider stopping there or focusing on related subjects you're already familiar with. Triangulation & outflanking aren't that complicated and you seem to catch on rather quickly.

Perhaps I exaggerated a bit with the "total" beginner, but knowing that there's much more ahead of me, I can't help thinking I'm still at the base of the piramid. I think I will keep studying as long as I don't get all too confused in endless variations. I noticed that in daily games I find myself in endgames much more frequently than in live games.

Thanks a lot! (and thanks for taking the time to painfully look at those 2 first games, I remember playing quite badly back then, at least compared to now)

you really dont need much endgame knowledge at the beginner level, and hardly any even at the class level (although this is also affected by the way you play, certain openings lend themselves more to needing good endgame skills to capitalize).

Silman's endgame guide is probably all the endgame knowledge you will need at the class level. IF you feel you are learning, dont hesitate to skip ahead. A lot of endgame skill requires going over material again anyways, so if you are struggling a little dont be too dissuaded.

Indeed! I think I'll keep going as long as I understand. Thanks!

Organize endgame study as follows, and for beginner thru intermediate players, in the following recommended order...

1. Mates with the heavy pieces - Queens and Rooks

2. Mates with the minor pieces - Knight and Bishops and combinations of these

3. King and Pawn endings - For the purpose of pawn promotion.  First with a single pawn, then continuing to add more pawns in various formations & locations on the board.  Learn the concept and technique of "Opposition" (as it relates to K+P endings) like the back of your hand (initially it's a little confusing but with study and practice it will 'click', and become almost second nature), as well as "Triangulation"...

Opposition - The Most Important Endgame Technique...

https://www.chess.com/blog/RussBell/opposition

4. Rook endings - starting with promoting a pawn with the aid of a rook while an opposing rook tries to prevent it.  Learn the concept/technique of "checking distance" with the rook, the "Building a Bridge" technique with the Lucena Position, and the Philidor Drawing position.

There are lots of instructive resources on endgame in the following article...

Improving Your Chess - Resources for Beginners and Beyond...

https://www.chess.com/blog/RussBell/improving-your-chess-resources-for-beginners-and-beyond

Thanks a lot! Very useful. I'll take a look at those links.

#1
The more, the better.

Be sure to check out John Bartholomew's tutorial videos on endgame...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xk56Rt-7Rs&list=PLl9uuRYQ-6MDzm-bs8kbyHdYEmRGUauot

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVwl3DyOXiM

Awesome! First time I see tutorials with a physical board. Thank you!

Do you know how to checkmate with just a queen or just a rook?  If not, get those down solid.  (But don't worry about mating with two bishops or a bishop and a knight.  In the tens of thousands of chess games I've played in my life, I don't remember either mate coming up a single time.  They're that rare.)

Once you know that, study King and Pawn vs King, for several reasons.

One, it comes up very frequently.

Two, you have to know the technique for these -- if you haven't studied the actual technique, you won't be able to just work it out over the board.  Get it to the point where it's second nature.

Three, having a secure knowledge of king and pawn vs king is crucial to any other endgame you need to learn, because in other endgames, you frequently have to consider the implications of trading down to a pawn endgame, or allowing your opponent to do so.  If you're in a rook-and-pawn-vs-rook endgame, you'll frequently need to consider whether a rook trade results in a win for the extra pawn or just a draw -- and you don't want to have to calulate that all the way through each time it comes up as a possibility.  You need to be able to know king-and-pawn well enough that you can immediately tell whether it's winning or drawn, so that you can then proceed to calculate all the other implications of this or that rook manouver.

Yes! As I mentioned in my first comment, basic endgames I know already (queen, rook, 2 bishops, 2 rooks), plus king and pawn vs king (both drawing and winning).

Silman's argument is that games at the 900 level are not lost because of rook endgames, and there are other ways to improve faster (namely tactics). That said, if you enjoy studying endgames, it will not hurt going beyond your level. And knowing how to promote a pawn is quite useful. Just don't expect to get the Vancura position very often in your games...