Secrets of Rook Endings [Paperback]

John Nunn (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 1999

The first edition of this book ushered in a new era in chess publishing. It was the first book based on computer-generated position databases that are guaranteed to provide the actual result of a position.
However, this book is no computer print-out. It takes a human 'oracle' to extract the useful information from this mass of data and to identify new principles to help the rest of us appreciate the key practical points. Dr John Nunn, top-class grandmaster and renowned theoretician, performs this role admirably. He has identified where previous theory has been overturned, and where there are important new results. Dr Nunn was also the first to reveal the general importance of the many 'reciprocal zugzwang' positions.
* The complete truth about the ending Rook and Pawn vs Rook
* One of the most important and controversial chess books of the twentieth century
* An essential addition to every serious chess-player's library
* A new expanded editi! on

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

John Nunn is a grandmaster from England. He has won four individual gold medals and three team silver medals at Chess Olympiads. He is arguably the most highly acclaimed chess writer in the world - he has twice won the prestigious British Chess Federation Book of the Year Award. In 2004 he won the World Chess Solving Championship, and repeated the feat in October 2007 with a record winning score of 89/90. He has written numerous books for Gambit, including Learn Chess Tactics and the best-selling Understanding Chess Move by Move.

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Gambit Publications; 2nd edition (October 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1901983188
• ISBN-13: 978-1901983180
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.7 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,470,522 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Objective truth is a rare thing indeed, April 7, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Secrets of Rook Endings (Paperback)

This book claims something no other chess book (that I have seen) does: total accuracy. Dr. Nunn prepared this book on Rook and Pawn endings with the help of Ken Thompson's endgame database, so that every position therein, and every solution given, is guaranteed to be 100% accurate. This book covers ONLY the subject of chess endgames with king, rook and a single pawn against king and rook, but this topic is much, much bigger than it may seem at first glance. While a computer can crank out solution after solution to endgame problems, only a strong human chess player like GM Nunn can take the resulting data and explain it in ways that make it useful to other humans who want to understand how to win (or avoid losing) these difficult endgames. Nunn has done an excellent job of explaining the whys and wherefores of each move (because frankly, the ONLY winning move in some of these positions is very counterintutive). I know that my endgame play will be stronger after working through the problems in this book and I recommend it to anyone who finds rook and pawn endings daunting.

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another authoritative book by Nunn, May 12, 2001

By 

Raymond Simmons (Damariscotta, ME USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Secrets of Rook Endings (Paperback)

I reccommend this book to any serious chessplayer. Nunn gives the low down on all rook versus rook plus pawn endings. Firstly, the information in this book is 100% accurate since a computer created the database. Any serious chessplayer would normally be looking for none other than the truth and in rook endings this is hard to come by. Secondly, Nunn demonstrates a fantastic concept known as reciprocal zugzwang. It turns out, assuming white is up the pawn, that in most positions, white to play wins while black to play draws. In a reciprocal zugzwang position, white to play draws and black to play loses. Hence, unlike normal zugzwang position where one color has a waiting move, reciprocal zugzwang positions offer neither color a waiting move (the easiest example you'll ever see is white- ka8 rb8 pa7 black- kc7 rc8). Lastly, the setup of this book is good too. Nunn starts with positions with the pawn of a7 and works his was to a2 (for obvious reasons). He then tackles b, c and d positions in the same way. To conclude, I did want to say that while this book contains all the information you'll ever need to know about this particular ending, the information will not seep into your brain from under your pillow. You will need to put in an obscene amount of time to get from cover to cover.

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Useful Book for Players, April 19, 2001

By 

A. Ali "Harkonnen" (Minneapolis, MN USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Secrets of Rook Endings (Paperback)

This book is often touted as being the final word on K+R+P vs. K+R. I agree with this contention but I have to say that this book is more than a reference work. The basic methods of play are elucidated here as in no other text. Even the famous "Rook Endings" by Smyslov and Levenfish devotes only 47 pages to K+R+P vs. K+R. Other books just give Lucena, Philidor and some general methods of play. Anyone playing a rook ending has to constantly keep in mind the possibility of simplification to a simpler rook ending. Consequently, the material covered by Nunn serves as the building block for a rigorous study of rook endings in general. The book offers unparalleled insight and understanding. John Nunn, in the three books he has written on endings, constantly strives to translate computer results into ideas and insights palatable to the human mind. Every student of the game should have this book on his shelf.