Concise Chess Endings

Rating:
Summary: Lives up to its name
Review: Author McDonald tries--and, to a certain extent, succeeds--to whittle the essential elements of endgame play into a compact, convenient volume. It incorporates the basics of Averbakh's classic "Chess Endings: Essential Knowledge," along with the how-to instruction of Chernev's "Capablanca's Best Chess Endings." It even includes some advanced material that you'd find in Fine's standard reference, "Basic Chess Endings." McDonald even includes endings from recent grandmaster play to illustrate the finer points of the endgame. This is as close to a small endgame encyclopedia as I've seen. This little book is not to be underestimated.

Still, I think its list price of [...] is a bit steep. If you'd rather spend that much on a truly complete endgame book, try a used copy of the aforementioned book by Fine, or any endgame book by Mednis.

Rating:
Summary: Lives up to its name
Review: Author McDonald tries--and, to a certain extent, succeeds--to whittle the essential elements of endgame play into a compact, convenient volume. It incorporates the basics of Averbakh's classic "Chess Endings: Essential Knowledge," along with the how-to instruction of Chernev's "Capablanca's Best Chess Endings." It even includes some advanced material that you'd find in Fine's standard reference, "Basic Chess Endings." McDonald even includes endings from recent grandmaster play to illustrate the finer points of the endgame. This is as close to a small endgame encyclopedia as I've seen. This little book is not to be underestimated.

Still, I think its list price of [...] is a bit steep. If you'd rather spend that much on a truly complete endgame book, try a used copy of the aforementioned book by Fine, or any endgame book by Mednis.

Rating:
Summary: I used not to like endgames... Until this little book...
Review: So, here I am spoiling a game where I earned an advantage in the endgame because of poor technique... How frustrating!

I decided to solve this ridiculous problem by studying the endgame. Having Basic Chess Endgames by Fine I started there. However, it was a drag... The explanations were lacking and the format of the book was so bad that it didn't invite me to study it. In addition some of BCE's endings are incorrect (OK, I will be fair: R. Fine didn't have access to computer programs during his days to check the endings.)

Then I saw this black little book: "Concise Chess Endings" by GM McDonald. Hmmmm! At first I thought that this can't be a serious book and didn't think much of it until I opened it. I decided to study it and think of it as a quick fix to my problems... Little did I know!

When I finished the first chapter about pawn endings I was like, why didn't somebody explained this to me before? Then I read it again to work on my recently gained knowledge. Then I started studying the rook endings chapter and learned how to draw (and win) a K+R+P vs. K+R ending... What was most amazing is that the knowledge was applied within a matter of two weeks because I had to salvage a draw in this very same ending! Was this a coincidence or what? I mean, after reading a couple of chapters of Concise Chess Endings I had the chance to apply the newly acquired knowledge over the board!

Surely, this book alone will not solve ALL your problems in the endgame but it is a refreshing start nonetheless! After completing the whole book I decided that it was time to be serious about the endgame and decided to educate myself by reading other books: BCE's by Fine deserved a chance and I decided to pursue it even further. I decided also to buy Fundamental Chess Endings by Muller and Lamprecht and was very, very surprised with its quality...

Anyway, Concise Chess Endings (CCE) will provide you with a fair knowledge to tackle most commonly encountered endings in practice. It will not solve all of your techinque problems but it will motivate you to pursue the study of endings in a more systematic way.

I still come back to CCE to brush upon my newly gained knowledge. GM McDonald is by far one of the best chess writers around. I own many of his books and have not been disappointed with his stuff.

Rating:
Summary: I used not to like endgames... Until this little book...
Review: So, here I am spoiling a game where I earned an advantage in the endgame because of poor technique... How frustrating!

I decided to solve this ridiculous problem by studying the endgame. Having Basic Chess Endgames by Fine I started there. However, it was a drag... The explanations were lacking and the format of the book was so bad that it didn't invite me to study it. In addition some of BCE's endings are incorrect (OK, I will be fair: R. Fine didn't have access to computer programs during his days to check the endings.)

Then I saw this black little book: "Concise Chess Endings" by GM McDonald. Hmmmm! At first I thought that this can't be a serious book and didn't think much of it until I opened it. I decided to study it and think of it as a quick fix to my problems... Little did I know!

When I finished the first chapter about pawn endings I was like, why didn't somebody explained this to me before? Then I read it again to work on my recently gained knowledge. Then I started studying the rook endings chapter and learned how to draw (and win) a K+R+P vs. K+R ending... What was most amazing is that the knowledge was applied within a matter of two weeks because I had to salvage a draw in this very same ending! Was this a coincidence or what? I mean, after reading a couple of chapters of Concise Chess Endings I had the chance to apply the newly acquired knowledge over the board!

Surely, this book alone will not solve ALL your problems in the endgame but it is a refreshing start nonetheless! After completing the whole book I decided that it was time to be serious about the endgame and decided to educate myself by reading other books: BCE's by Fine deserved a chance and I decided to pursue it even further. I decided also to buy Fundamental Chess Endings by Muller and Lamprecht and was very, very surprised with its quality...

Anyway, Concise Chess Endings (CCE) will provide you with a fair knowledge to tackle most commonly encountered endings in practice. It will not solve all of your techinque problems but it will motivate you to pursue the study of endings in a more systematic way.

I still come back to CCE to brush upon my newly gained knowledge. GM McDonald is by far one of the best chess writers around. I own many of his books and have not been disappointed with his stuff.

Rating:
Summary: Unique format makes this book special
Review: The page format is small (about ¼ size of the usual book), but the book is very thick - 288 pages. I think that the format is the main strength and somewhat of a weaknesses.

Strengths - nice looking endgame book. A lot of info is squeezed into the book and plenty of diagrams to make your reading somewhat easier. GM McDonald doesn't try to cut corners, he covers all major aspects of endgames, provides some new and recent examples and offers a lot of annotations. Then again, the book can fit in one's pocket.

Weaknesses - there is no sign whose move it is in the diagram. So one is out of luck when trying to analyze the position before seeing the authors comments? In my opinion, this is a best way to study and authors/publishers must address it. I imagine, because is small and thick book, binding was a serious challenge task and I don't like the outcome. The book is not a pleasure to open and read! I am always concerned that it may start breaking apart.

Overall, I would suggest to experienced players buying this book primarily to use while commuting or during classes or business meetings at the office. The book can easily fit in your pocket. However, personally, I am tearing the book apart before it's binding breaks on its own. This way, I can just carry a few chapters in my pocket at the time and have much more pleasant time turning the pages. Beginners, should study more seriously and always use chessboard. Thus they wouldn't benefit from this book as much as from books by Averbach, Alburt, Muller, Capablanca and Fine.

Rating:
Summary: Unique format makes this book special
Review: The page format is small (about ¼ size of the usual book), but the book is very thick - 288 pages. I think that the format is the main strength and somewhat of a weaknesses.

Strengths - nice looking endgame book. A lot of info is squeezed into the book and plenty of diagrams to make your reading somewhat easier. GM McDonald doesn't try to cut corners, he covers all major aspects of endgames, provides some new and recent examples and offers a lot of annotations. Then again, the book can fit in one's pocket.

Weaknesses - there is no sign whose move it is in the diagram. So one is out of luck when trying to analyze the position before seeing the authors comments? In my opinion, this is a best way to study and authors/publishers must address it. I imagine, because is small and thick book, binding was a serious challenge task and I don't like the outcome. The book is not a pleasure to open and read! I am always concerned that it may start breaking apart.

Overall, I would suggest to experienced players buying this book primarily to use while commuting or during classes or business meetings at the office. The book can easily fit in your pocket. However, personally, I am tearing the book apart before it's binding breaks on its own. This way, I can just carry a few chapters in my pocket at the time and have much more pleasant time turning the pages. Beginners, should study more seriously and always use chessboard. Thus they wouldn't benefit from this book as much as from books by Averbach, Alburt, Muller, Capablanca and Fine.