Customer Reviews

A Practical Guide to Rook Endgames

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This is a translation of an older book originally published in Bulgaria, I believe. It has three sections: tactics, strategy, and rook endgames in practice. The last part makes up about half the book and is the justification for buying it.

Flip through the pages, and it looks like Minev is showing the same position over and over. In fact, he shows many similar endgames, emphasizing how subtle differences affect the way they should be played. Most chess players know the Lucena position, but would you know what to do if every piece were moved over one file?

You can't expect a club player to memorize all the positions, but as you go through them, you begin to develop an instinct for how to play. When should I check from behind, and when from the side? What goes on the "long" side of the pawn, my rook or my king? How do things change once the pawn gets to the sixth rank? How about the seventh?

Rook endgames are fairly common, so you should study them fairly early in your chess career. I think this is ideally sutied to those rated, let's say, 1400-1700.

Many players want to improve their endgame technique, but do not have the time or patience for the comprehensive intensity of Dvoretsky (Dvoretsky's Endgame Manual) or Mueller & Lamprecht (Fundamental Chess Endings).

It is said that rook endgames comprise about one-half of all endings. This is a terrific, compact review of all the basic principles, instructively presented and easily able to be absorbed. If you get no other book on the endings, get this one.

Parker Rose

I have just started going thru this book, downloaded it just a couple of days ago. So far, it is GREAT! The diagrams are clear and easy to see, the text and notation is very good on my ipod.