Fundamental Chess Endings (Gambit Publications Ltd)

This is a major event in chess publishing. Two German endgame experts have produced a masterful one-volume encyclopedia which covers all major endgames. This, the first truly modern single-volume endgame encyclopedia, supersedes all previous works of this type aby being far more accurate and readable. This is no dry reference work; throughout the work, the authors emphasize the practical elements of endgame play: principles, rules of thumb and thinking methods. They also provide a feast of detailed analysis for those looking to study the endgame in depth. Unlike previous books of this type (the most recent of which is now eight years old), Fundamental Chess Endings makes full use of endgame tablebases and the analytical engines that access these tablebases. As a result, where previous authors could only make educated guesses, in this book, the authors can often state the definitive truth, or get much closer to it. Throughout, the emphasis is on the general principles that can be extracted from detailed theory, making Fundamental Chess Endings both an ideal endgame reference work and a book that can profitably and enjoyably read from start to finish. With new time controls meaning that competitive games are played to a finish, it has become especially important that chess-players understand the main endgame principles. Fundamental Chess Endings sets the mark for which all others will aim.