If you go to page 3 of the Chess Forum, you find a thread called "Must have chess books" (sorry don't know how to cut&paste thread links) where you'll e.g. find this:
Title: Basic Chess Endings
Author: Reuben Fine
This is the Bible for chess endgames. Every conceivable endgame that could ever arise is analyzed by a superb GM. It will take you months, even years to read and understand this book. Although tedious work, your effort will be rewarded by this book. Only drawback: It's in descriptive notation. All other efforts since this endgame study have been basically to condense the knowledge in this book.
There are probably a few good one's out there that I missed though
😉
Disclaimer: you must be ready to work if you wish to get anything out of Dvoretsky's manual. If your really want "just the basics" Pandolfinis book is ok. Also alright (was great when I was 15 and just starting out) is
Grandmaster Secrets/Endings by Soltis. My brother lost it, but I do know it covers both the Phildor and Lucena positions (crucial endgame Rook + pawn positions) in an easy to understand manner.
Here is Silmans review
http://www.jeremysilman.com/book_reviews_js/js_grandmaster_secrets_end.html
The one of several that I have on endings, that is fantastic, and very easy to study is Winning Chess Endgames- JUST THE FACTS! 2nd ed. by Lev Alburt and Nikolay Krogius. It has made a consistant and happy endgame student out of me, and I used to hate and avoid studying the endgame!
There are probably a few good one's out there that I missed though
😉
You left out School of Chess Excellence 1: Endgame Analysis by Mark Dvoretsky and Dvoretsky's Endgame Manual, 2nd edition, which reputedly adds some 20 pages covering new theory on rook endings to the original text.
Here's a book that got me on the path to righteousness.
Capablanca's Chess Fundamentals. Don't laugh, it's got some good stuff. Here's a review.
J.R. Capablanca was a World Chess Champion and one of the greatest players in chess history, yet he wrote very little about the game. Chess Fundamentals, though normally for the beginning player, contains valuable insights that will benefit players at all levels of understanding, including masters
Originally posted by General Putzer Here's a book that got me on the path to righteousness.
Capablanca's Chess Fundamentals. Don't laugh, it's got some good stuff. Here's a review.
J.R. Capablanca was a World Chess Champion and one of the greatest players in chess history, yet he wrote very little about the game. Chess Fundamentals, though normally for the beginning player, contai ...[text shortened]... luable insights that will benefit players at all levels of understanding, including masters
Capa was the greatest endgame player of all time. Period. Any book of his games would be instructional.
Capablanca's 60 best endgames by chernev is good, althouhg more as a collection of endgames for study, rather than a guide.
As an opening guide. I prefer Fundamental chess endings (i think, forgotten its name- not read it whilst studying for exams!) by two german authors, whose names also escape me (memorable book!)
Originally posted by zebano Disclaimer: you must be ready to work if you wish to get anything out of Dvoretsky's manual. If your really want "just the basics" Pandolfinis book is ok. Also alright (was great when I was 15 and just starting out) is
Grandmaster Secrets/Endings by Soltis. My brother lost it, but I do know it covers both the Phildor and Lucena positions (crucial endgam ...[text shortened]... s Silmans review
http://www.jeremysilman.com/book_reviews_js/js_grandmaster_secrets_end.html
Silman and his colleagues have put together alot of quality reviews on that site. Here is Silman's take on the Dvoretsky book.