Rating: Summary: A good all around book for the ending Review: A user-friendly guide to the ending phase of the game. A worthwhile read, because the author attempts to include active participation in the process (by playing White during an endgame, and attempting to find each move as you go along.)He includes numerous studies illustrating some endgame points, which can serve as an introduction to that interesting branch of chess. The first chapter includes a discussion on how a knight, bishop and king mate a lone king. This is a devilishly hard thing to start the book with (even though I've seen this discussed in at least 3 books, I still don't fully understand it myself) and it may scare off some readers. But persevere and you will be rewarded.
Rating: Summary: A good all around book for the ending Review: A user-friendly guide to the ending phase of the game. A worthwhile read, because the author attempts to include active participation in the process (by playing White during an endgame, and attempting to find each move as you go along.) He includes numerous studies illustrating some endgame points, which can serve as an introduction to that interesting branch of chess. The first chapter includes a discussion on how a knight, bishop and king mate a lone king. This is a devilishly hard thing to start the book with (even though I've seen this discussed in at least 3 books, I still don't fully understand it myself) and it may scare off some readers. But persevere and you will be rewarded.
Rating: Summary: Endgame technique Review: An extremely instruvtive book teaching how to serve mate in the endgame. I found it very helpful as now I know how to steer the endgame. My only complain is that when discussing a lone king versus a king and two knights, Seirawan simply states checkmate is impossible without cooperation. I would have liked to see it played out by a GM as proof.
Rating: Summary: Decent endings book Review: I'm around a 1400 player, and I found this book to be useful, for the most part (although I *still* have trouble with kbn-k!), as it will give you the ideas behind many endings. Yasser takes a building block approach, and constantly builds upon prior knowledge in a very effective way. This is, by far, the best endgame book I own.
Rating: Summary: If You Want No Nonsense... Review: If you want no nonsense instructions this is the book to go. Like all of Seirawan's books, it is explained with simplicity, but most of all it provides the tools you need.
Rating: Summary: If You Want No Nonsense... Review: If you want no nonsense instructions this is the book to go. Like all of Seirawan's books, it is explained with simplicity, but most of all it provides the tools you need.
Rating: Summary: At the knee of the Master .... Review: Quite simply, the absolutely best endgame book on the market today. ALL my students love it. I used to teach primarily out of "Pandolfini's Endgame Course." (This is an excellent book, and actually has much more overall material than the Seirawan book.) But this book is better. There is a lot more verbiage and explanations. GM Seirawan takes great pains to explain the moves and the GENERAL IDEAS of the ending you are trying to learn. Its almost as good as if you walked up to the GM, sat down by his knee and said, "Master, teach me everything I need to know to play the endings competently and well." The Microsoft Press people have one of the finest teams of editors, proofreaders, etc. They have put together one of the best Chess Book series I have ever seen. I can heartily recommend the entire series. I am sure if you buy this book and study it diligently, your understanding of the end phase of the game will increase 1000%! (One minor note: The GM does a little bit of showing off in this book. Example: The ending where he has to calculate the win over 20 moves in advance is over the head of the average IM!! But I think you should expect a little of that from a player of Seirawan's capability. Remember, he was one of the country's strongest Master's well before he was out of his teens. He has won or tied for the U.S. Championship several times. He has been a Candidate for the World Championship and has won 1st Place at many International tournaments. So its not suprising to see a little chest thumping going on.)
Rating: Summary: excellent work! Review: Seirawan is a very talented author besides one of the top chess players. And in this book he succeeds something extremely difficult....that is to write a book about endings which is not boring! I am a relatively strong club player but always it was unbearable to study endings. I can easily compare it with chemistry or physics reading in school...Oh god no more mental tortures, i just want to have some fun! And with this book you can both : valuable ending knowledges and entertainent! Definetely five stars.
Rating: Summary: Good but not the best Endgame Book Review: There is a good reason why Yasser is an outstanding author. Unlike other GM authors who (from biographical accounts) seemed to be chess champions the first time they moved a chess piece, Seirawan shows us by example how his beginnings in chess were quite modest. He was thus forced to study chess in the same way most of us do, that is to start with the basics. The fact that he covered all the territory from beginner up to GM lends great credibility to his knowledge and understanding of what is important (particularly to those who are just starting); this is strongly reflected in this book on chess endings. He starts with basic mates and takes you on a progressive, logical journey through endgame strategy. He doesn't just assume you will understand without careful instruction at the most important and difficult areas. These factors make this book an outstanding introduction to chess endings, and I would highly recommend it.
Dr A.M.
Rating: Summary: Great, enjoyable book on the endgame. Review: This book does not replace an endgame manual, not even at the beginner level. You could, for example, read Pandolfini's Endgame Course in its entirety and still get some value from this book. It is not complete. It is simply fun. Seirawan explains the ideas in words. He throws in anecdotes, tension, and humor. He goes over some of the basics in excruciating detail (for example, King+Bishop+Knight v. King, which is extremely rare in practice). He includes complete master-level endings so that you can see how it's done. His discussion of rook endings (extremely common in practice) is helpful. He finishes with a very interesting chapter on the difference between grandmaster play and the theoretically perfect moves in computer generated tablebases. Another enthralling re-print in the Winning Chess series. Most appropriate to about 1300 level, even with no prior endgame knowledge.
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