For all chess-players - from beginners to grandmasters, and whatever their style of play - one thing is certain: rook endings will arise in a great many of their games. Yet it is precisely in this area of the game that many players give away hard-earned points, either through lack of knowledge or inadequate understanding. Most previous books on the subject have been extremely technical and theoretical, but this one is different. John Emms provides the essential specific knowledge and explains the key concepts that will enable readers to find the right plan in most common types of rook endings. * Rook endings occur in about 1 in 10 of all chess games * The author is a battle-hardened chess professional * Written and checked using modern software and tablebases John Emms is one of England's strongest grandmasters, and an experienced trainer. He is also a skilful and versatile writer: he has several opening monographs and general guides to his credit, and authored the hugely popular work, The Ultimate Chess Puzzle Book.

To learn and to play endgames well the chess player must love endgames' - Lev Psakhis. Different kinds of endgames have specific characteristics and rules. Every serious player must know many typical positions and main principles of all types of endings. That knowledge should help us during the game, but it is not enough to become a good player, not yet. There just too many different endings, some of them with two or more pieces, some are very complex. To be comfortable and play well those complex endings require specific knowledge and specific ways of thinking. We will call it 'endgame thinking'. I chose to write a book on advanced rook endings as I simply did not wish to write another book that would be like the many already available. I have done my best to present analysis and articles I have written over the past 10-15 years. Th is work has been presented in my daily coaching sessions, seminars, workshops, etc. The material has helped a lot of trainees to develop into quite strong players gaining international titles and championships. Now, it is your turn to taste and enjoy it!

Victor Korchnoi, one of the greatest experts in the field of rook endings, now documents his own experiences in tournament play. His main purpose is to inspire readers with a deep interest in rook endings, and he promises that anyone who thoroughly masters the given material will raise his Elo rating by 100 points or more!

Endgames with rooks and pawns are the most frequently occurring in chess, arising in about 1 game in 10. If you learn an important technique in this endgame, chances are you will end up using it sooner or later. And there are a great many methods and concepts that can be mastered with a little effort. This book highlights the key themes in rook endings, and at each turn invites the reader to test his knowledge and skills with abundant exercises. Rook endgame theory does not stand still. New practical examples illustrate novel approaches as players seek to pose problems to their opponents - Magnus Carlsen has shown that even the driest-looking positions can feature deadly traps. The ongoing creation of new endgame tablebases - of which co-author Yakov Konoval has been at the forefront - enables new classes of positions to be assessed with definitive certainty. Using six-man and the brand new seven-man tablebases, the authors re-examine many of the old evaluations and reach new and enlightening conclusions about classic rook endings. You will be startled and amazed, and soon discover that you are becoming a far more effective endgame player. German grandmaster Karsten Müller is arguably the world's foremost writer on chess endgames. His 'masterwork', Fundamental Chess Endings, is a modern endgame 'bible' and was studied intensively by current World Champion Magnus Carlsen in his youth. Yakov Konoval is a Russian chess-player and programmer who studied at Mikhail Botvinnik's chess school. He has written programs for solving chess problems and has pioneered new techniques for generating endgame tablebases.

A comprehensive guide to all fundamental chess endings, and a godsend for those looking to improve their endgame play. Crucially, the emphasis is just as much on practical play as it is on theoretical understanding.

Basic Chess Endings involving rooks and pawns

This book provides a wealth of puzzle positions to test just about every facet of your tactical skills. The puzzles in this book have been selected by analysing games new and old in search of original puzzle positions. It is very unlikely that even seasoned solvers will recognise many of these positions. Emms, by allying his skills with those of powerful computers, has also made every effort to ensure that the solutions are sound, and that there are no unmentioned alternative solutions. The book begins with 100 relatively easy positions suitable for novices, and ends with 100 extremely tough puzzles, which provide a mind-bending challenge even for top-class players. There are 1001 puzzles in all.

Young Daniel Naroditsky (1995) has picked the most instructive examples of endgames in which you have to use ideas and plans in order to outplay your opponent. This is not an encyclopaedia nor a manual on endings, which are usually helpful but boring, but a compendium of lively lessons and exercises. The positions that International Master Naroditsky uses should not be memorized, but understood, and his acclaimed didactic skills will take your endgame technique to the next level. Never before have the ideas that decide endings been explained so clearly. With exercise at the end of each chapter. ,