Product Description

This is an endgame manual with a difference. As soon as a topic has been introduced and a few basic ideas discussed, you are immediately invited to immerse yourself in the subject by solving a series of relevant positions. The solutions to these positions feature a wealth of practical advice and further discussion of endgame principles and the key theoretical points. This carefully worked-out training program will enable you quickly and painlessly to determine where your strengths and weaknesses lie, and thus set about correcting any faults.

All the main types of endgames are covered: pawn endings, minor-piece endings, rook endings and queen endings. Rosen discusses important elements in endgame strategy, such as pawn structure, passed pawns, space advantage, breakthrough, and zugzwang. Endgames are often highly tactical, and this is reflected throughout this book in exercises that require precise calculation, and in sections devoted to typical tactical themes.

The wealth of exercises throughout this book also make it an ideal endgame refresher course that will be of great benefit even to those who are already highly proficient in the endgame.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #139524 in Books
• Published on: 2004-07
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 160 pages

About the Author
Bernd Rosen is a highly qualified trainer who writes a regular column in a German chess magazine. He gained his FIDE Master title in 1987 and has played in the German Bundesliga for many years.

Customer Reviews

Brilliant organization of material--great training tool!
Chess endings are deceptively difficult: it can take more than a year simply to learn to play the major four- and five-piece endings competently.

The problem with many endgame treatises--including great contemporary books like _Fundamental Chess Endings_ and (to a lesser extent) _Dvoretsky's Endgame Manual_--is that a fair portion of the material covered is frankly too darn hard even for ambitious young players. Rosen has put a lot of thought into organizing the material so that the young player has a reasonable chance of solving (or at least understanding) each exercise. The ideal reader is probably ELO 1000-1600, though most players with ELO above 2000 would also benefit.

I can't recommend this book strongly enough to chess instructors: 16 well-organized lessons in one book!

Solid, to-the-point endgame training.
Chess Endgame Training allows anyone that has preferred to avoid the subject of chess endings to approach it. Rosen's objectives; a manageable amount of training material and a didactic coverage that summarizes endgame proeasy-to-difficult positions; are achieved in Chess Endgame Training. A brief introduction to an endgame theme is followed by relevant examples, including many classical and recent positions with instructional as well as practical value. The format and contents are straight to the point, with no aesthetic dissertations to fog the mind. The positions presented are both relevant and clearly explained. This is a true time-saver that provides substantial examples in an engaging try-it-yourself format.

Excellent tool for the advanced players
This book is mostly aimed at advanced club players (ELO 1800+ / maybe more regarding USCF) who already have a good grasp of the main endgame techniques & strategies (e.g. read first a primer like James Howell's "Essential Chess Endings: The Tournament Player's Guide"). It can be used both as a training/test tool and for enhancing your endgame knowledge.
It works by giving you first a set of exercises and then explaining what's going on. Hence, this is a real fun & practical way to work on your endgames. The ideas will get stuck to you head..
But let me say once more that imo you need to be already acquainted with basic endgames and also have a good sense of tactics & calculation.