While Josef Kling is mostly known for his partnership with Bernhard Horwitz in their classic work 'Chess Studies and Endgames', the present book of chess problems and endgame studies precedes that work by a few years.
In this new edition, all of the compositions and accompanying analysis have been thoroughly reanalyzed by FIDE Master Carsten Hansen.
The present book was originally published in German in 1922, containing 87 of his studies. This volume presents the material in English for the first time. It further contains additional versions and corrections of Sehwers' studies along with all his other studies.
In this new edition, the compositions and analysis have been thoroughly reanalyzed by FIDE Master Carsten Hansen.
In 1851, Horwitz & Kling published the first edition of the book. The collection of endgame studies was truly monumental, covering endgames of all types, often uncovering previously unknown truths about a variety of endgames, both simple and more complex ones.
After the passing of his colleague Kling, Horwitz started preparing a manuscript for a new, expanded edition. However, in 1885, he passed as well, and it was only through the effort of William Wayte that the second edition was published in 1889.
In this new edition, all of their compositions and analysis have been thoroughly reanalyzed by FIDE Master Carsten Hansen.
Composing and solving chess problems can seem like an entirely different world from regular chess, and in many ways, they are, but there are plenty of overlapping issues and applications.
In this volume, James Rayner, who was a leading composer in his own right and the editor of the chess problem section in British Chess Magazine, dives into how to compose and solve chess problems, presenting techniques that can be applied immediately.
Furthermore, he presents a selection of chess problems, including some of his own by the leading composers of his day.
In this new edition, FIDE Master Carsten Hansen thoroughly reanalyzed all of the compositions and analyses and made the material accessible to modern readers and fans of chess problems.
The Fine Art of the Endgame Study
The chess endgame study has a long and storied history and occupies a unique place in chess because of its similarity to practical play. Many studies contain beautiful ideas and combinations. Solving or even simply playing through endgame studies is an effective method of studying the strategic and tactical elements of play and contributes to the growth of the number of fans of this chess art.
However, many chessplayers are unaware or apprehensive of endgame studies. The studies seem to be almost other-worldly. But now, for the first time, a world-class endgame composer explains the basics of studies, from the basic terms and themes, to solving and even composing endgame studies!
If you have always wanted to explore endgame studies but thought they were too abstract or difficult, this book is for you. The author breaks down all the basic themes, with examples and clear explanations.
The book you are holding – a first of its kind – is a complete practical guide to the wonderland of our fine art aimed at leading you to your upcoming solving and composing adventures by a world class expert – From the Foreword by Yochanan Afek
Whether you are seeking to improve your tactical and strategic endgame skills or just wish to enjoy the beauty and aesthetic appeal of endgame studies, let Oleg Pervakov open the door to the fine art of the endgame study.
Oleg Pervakov is one of the most distinguished endgame study composers in the world today. In 2005 he was awarded the coveted title of International Grandmaster in Chess Composition.
Excellent Ennui!
Chess, so the theory goes, takes 10,000 hours of practice to master. Clearly not all of those hours will be enjoyable and studying 80 endgames featuring a specific isolated pawn is definitely not in the fun category. This is where The World’s Most Boring Chess Book comes in.
What The World’s Most Boring Chess Book lacks in entertainment, it makes up in examples explaining how to push for a win in an endgame where one side is saddled with an isolated pawn, and how to defend against such efforts. The commentary which accompanies the deep analysis, makes the subject accessible but never easy: even the endgames with just kings and pawns are surprisingly challenging.
Isolated pawns are one major type of technical position. One can find oneself in such a position from many different openings, or at the end of a middlegame or endgame battle. Hundreds of fascinating games have been played with an isolated pawn and Rogers and Hazai deeply analyse 80 of them in this book... [A] reader will learn which pieces it is better to exchange, when one can wait patiently, and when one needs to look for active counterplay... If you are not shy about working diligently and want to improve your technique, then this book is for you! – From the Foreword by Boris Gelfand
Many chessplayers are uncomfortable in positions which have an isolated d-pawn. With the help of the authors, you will come to embrace these positions, whether on offence or defence. What excellent ennui!
Hungarian International Master Laszlo Hazai is a noted trainer and theoretician who has worked with elite Grandmasters such as Judit Polgar and Boris Gelfand and multiple World Junior Champions. Hazai is also a gold medal winning Olympic captain for Hungary. This is his first book for Russell Enterprises.
Ian Rogers is an Australian Grandmaster. He is commentator, trainer, and author who has tried to make the book accessible for players below a 2700 rating. His previous works for Russell Enterprises include two immensely enjoyable books, Oops! I Resigned Again! and Oops! I Resigned One More Time!.
Both an instruction book and an engaging meditation on the joys of chess, this is the final work by one of the most successful chess writers of all time. Irving Chernev blends anecdotes with his observations on inspiring moves and combinations by well- and lesser-known players, including Troitzky, Réti, Kasparyan, Benko, Kubbel, Rinck, Grigoriev, and many others.
Each example is introduced with a cue ("White to play and win") and includes the composer's name, the date of its original publication if available, a clear diagram with an algebraic grid, and the winning variation presented in algebraic notion. Chernev's sparkling text is complemented by introductions by national Master Bruce Pandolfini and Adam Hart-Davis, an editor who worked with Chernev and who helped assemble this posthumous publication.
Appropriate for players at every level, 200 Brilliant Endgames promises to assist chess enthusiasts in sharpening their endgame skills and to enhance their pleasure and satisfaction in the game.
This book presents 174 of best and most beautiful chess problems composed by John Brown or as he referred to himeself "J.B. of Bridport" - a leading English chess problem composer in the middle of the 19th century.
This book presents 100 of best and most beautiful chess problems composed by Rev. A. Cyrill Pearson - a leading English chess problem composer in the middle of the 19th century.
Chess endings have an immediacy lacking in chess endgame or chess problems: endings are not theoretical or composed, but actual board positions, the point in every game when the superfluous falls away, leaving only the essential. José Raúl Capablanca (1888–1942) had no need for isolated artistic theory or compositions — he composed and created chess art as he played. All of his genius — intuitive, tactical, strategic, logical — all of his art shines clearest in his endings, as he himself was proud to declare, advising others to study them carefully. "In order to improve your game," he said, "you must study the endgame before anything else; for whereas the endings can be studied and mastered by themselves, the middle game and the opening must be studied in relation to the endgame."
The best way to follow Capablanca's advice is through this — the only book devoted to his great endings, 60 complete games emphasizing the grand finale but annotated throughout.
Irving Chernev communicates in his notes the mystery and wonder as well as the delight in discovering again and again the original, fertile mind of chess's greatest born player. "Virtuoso," "exquisite," "profound," "inspired," "elegant," and "fiendish ingenuity" describe match and tournament games and endings against Alekhine, Steiner, Marshall, Nimzowitsch, Lasker, Réti, and others, the best in the contemporary chess world. Capablanca's eleventh game in the 1901 Cuban championship (which he won, aged 12) "surpasses any accomplishment by such other prodigies as Morphy, Reshevsky, and Fischer." From age 12 through the last game in the book (nearly four decades later against Reshevsky at Nottingham, 1936), Capablanca fashions endgames in tense tournament atmosphere that seem like delicate, precise instruments dreamt at leisure.
Here then is the essence of Capablanca, analyzed for the instruction of players and the pleasure of chess connoisseurs. Included are indexes of openings, themes in the endings, and opponents, as well as a bibliography and record of tournament and match play. Capablanca: for players, the epitome of the endgame; for readers, a classic chess study.
2000 studies, themes, definitions and explanations
Solving endgame studies has become a major working tool in modern chess training combining the instructive with the enjoyable. Studies are highly recommended for refining calculating and tactical skills, deepening endgame understanding, as well as improving creativity and out of the box thinking.
The Anthology of Miniature Endgame Studies is the biggest selection of composed endings with up to seven pieces on the board, created by the world’s best composers throughout the past 150 years. The carefully selected studies are categorized into thematic chapters. The game-like positions highlight the power and typical qualities of each piece alone and in collaboration with other pieces.
From the foreword by GM Jan Timman: “Endgame studies are in fact an important factor in becoming a strong player. It is significant that both Garry Kasparov and Magnus Carlsen have a keen interest in endgame studies. It is praiseworthy that Chess Informant was ready to publish this important work. Afek is arguably the most qualified person to write it.”
Perhaps the greatest beauty in chess can be found in endgame studies. Delightful twists and turns on the board are combined into true works of art. In studies, chess is distilled into its purest form, with all pieces making only the most essential moves. Endgame studies are also useful exercises for practical chess players, as they show patterns, improve calculation, and inspire out-of-the-box thinking.
Grandmaster Jan Timman has been fascinated by endgame studies since his youth. The artistry and perfection have always appealed to him. In recent years his focus has shifted from practical chess to composing endgame studies, and many of his compositions have won awards. Timman wrote about composing in The Art of the Endgame (New In Chess, Revised Edition 2023).
In this new book Timman presents the one hundred greatest endgame studies. In five chapters he guides you through masterpieces of increasing difficulty, beginning with elementary endings such as the Réti and Lasker manoeuvres. The studies include themes such as minor) promotion, Zugzwang and domination, all beautifully illustrated and clearly explained. By the time you reach the final chapter with the most complicated examples, you will be amazed at the myriad possibilities of chess and inspired to add more finesse to your own endgame play.
Jan Timman, World Chess Champion finalist, is the author of many bestselling chess books. Timman's Titans won the 2017 ECF Book of the Year Award, and his recent books, The Longest Game, The Unstoppable American, Timman's Triumphs and Max Euwe's Best Games have all met with wide acclaim. He was awarded the title of FIDE Master of Chess Composition in 2022.
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