Originally posted by Santa DrummerI have his endgame manual, and I was impressed with it.
He is said to be the best coach in the world so I was wondering if I should try begging these into my christmas presies...
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/Author=Dvoretsky%2C%20Mark/ref=pd_sima_dp_1_4/203-7877971-9465562
Originally posted by ark13I have this book as well, it is comprehensive to say the least. If you're only going to get one endgame book, this should be it. I also have his Opening preperation book. It is good, but is aimed at already strong players. It focuses on how to analyse an opening for yourself using a database, which is great!! But to sub 2000 players the time involved in his suggestions isn't always desirable. Excellent book all the same though!! I can't recommend his work highly enough, he is truely one of the best chess authors i've ever read.
I have his endgame manual, and I was impressed with it.
Originally posted by WulebgrTrue, but the Endgame Manual is organized in such a way that you don't have to be a GM to benefit from it. The concepts are explained clearly enough so as to be accessible to low-intermediate players. Because much of the material is also rather advanced, the book can grow with the player. If his other books are organized along the same lines, then they may well be worth the price.
Dvoretsky is a bit over the head of most patzers. Work through more elementary instruction first. Dvoretsky's books are the graduate school of chess; he trains Grandmasters.
Originally posted by BLReidAgreed. Indeed, his more recent books are far more accessible to the average player than such classics as Secrets of Chess Tactics.
True, but the Endgame Manual is organized in such a way that you don't have to be a GM to benefit from it. The concepts are explained clearly enough so as to be accessible to low-intermediate players. Because much of the material is also rather advanced, the book can grow with the player. If his other books are organized along the same lines, then they may well be worth the price.
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Yes, the Endgame Manual is very good.
Unfortunately, none of Dvoretsky's other books are anywhere near as accessible. I have several of them and they contain a lot of good stuff, but they're hard going. Some of the exercises are incredibly difficult and even grandmasters have been known to struggle with them. That's because Dvoretsky picked these exercises to challenge his best pupils, who were exceptionally gifted players.
I wouldn't recommend them to anyone unless they're prepared to work very hard on the exercises. By the way, he almost never uses the standard kind of positions you see in newspapers. You won't see any 'White to play and mate in X moves' combinations. Instead a typical problem would be to decide which piece to exchange in a quiet middlegame position, so that a better endgame is achieved 20 moves later!
So don't buy unless you really determined to improve your chess and have plenty of spare time to work through the exercises.
Dave
Edit - I haven't seen some of Dvoretsky's more recent books. So maybe they are a bit easier as Wulebgr states. I'll have to check them out!
I'd strongly recommend the Endgame Manual, at least for players above 1500 or so.
I agree that some of the others are hard work. I have the Secrets of Chess Tactics, and suffice it to say that most of it remains a secret to me.
Dvoretsky gave a series of talks in Glasgow recently, which I couldn't get to. I'm told he was simply phenomenal. All simple positions, no 'fireworks'.