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Funky name, real hobbies
Funky name, real hobbies
clemens
142 ( +1 | -1 )
Studying Endgames Some of you might recall me asking for analysis on an endgame I had just drawn -- incorrectly, as it turned out, as I could have won.
Well, I was certainly unsatisfied with my endgame skills, so I decided to work on them a bit. I got myself "Practical Chess Endings" by Irving Chernev and started going through it. It is probably not the best endgame book in the sense that there aren't many big words and rules in it, it is just 300 endgame studies with (so I think) clear and concise explanations by Mr Chernev; that's great with me, though, since I've always liked to learn concepts on my own. The studies range from very simple pawn promotion scenarios to complex positions with multiple pieces. Also, many of the studies are astounding in that when you first look at them, it seems impossible for white to win, and then the solution is truly beautiful. Endgames no longer seem dull to me at all!
Anyway, I think my endgame did improve. I quite like the one I just finished at board #748289, I was down a rook for two pieces, but a passed pawn saved me the game. I guess both of us didn't play perfectly, but hey, when you win it was probably good enough.
I'm not quite sure where I'm going here, it's either "buy that book, it's nice (and cheap, BTW)" or "work on your weaknesses, it pays off", so I'll stop here. Hmmm.
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brucehum
73 ( +1 | -1 )
Work on your weaknesses Work on your weaknesses is definitively a very good recomendation.
People usually prefer to work at what they are good at, as they have 'more fun'. But, that way, your weaknesses are still there! If you want to improve your chess, you have to study your weaknesses.
Chernev's books, by some strange reason, have a bad reputation in some circles. Strangely enough, if you ask really good players (IM, GM) about them, they say they are really good for you. So, Iampatzerman (I hope there is no one with this name here! It is just an invented name) rated 1600 disses Chernev, but Gmman 2550 says it is very good for people at that level. Who do you trust?
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baseline
94 ( +1 | -1 )
clemens A good book for someone just starting to study endgames is "Just the Facts!" by Lev Alburt and Kikolay Krogius
a really execellent endgame book is
"Fundamental Chess Endings" by Karsten Muller and Frank Lamprecht
It can be used both a primer and encyclopaedia.
Regarding Chernev's books some of them were considered good in their day but have since been eclipsed by newer and better books. and I don't know of any GM's and IM's telling people to rush out and buy his books but if you are picking them up secondhand or the Dover reprints then your getting them cheap and you can learn something from any chess book.
by the way here is the only Chernev game I have in my database
Balint,J - Chernev,I [A18]
USA-ch prel New York, 1938
1.c4 Nf6 2.Nc3 e6 3.e4 d5 4.e5 Nfd7 5.cxd5 Nxe5 6.d4 Ng6 7.dxe6 Bxe6 8.d5 Bd7 9.Qb3 Qc8 10.Nf3 a6 11.Be2 Be7 12.0-0 0-0 13.Be3 Kh8 14.Rac1 f5 15.Rfd1 Bd6 16.Na4 Qe8 17.Nc5 b6 18.Nxd7 Nxd7 19.Bf1 Nde5 20.Bd4 Nxf3+ 21.Qxf3 Nh4 22.Qh3 Qh5 23.Rd3 Qg5 24.Rc6 Rad8 25.Rxd6 Rxd6 26.Rg3 Qh5 27.Rxg7 Rdf6 28.Rxc7 Kg8 29.Qg3+ Ng6 30.Bxf6 Rxf6 31.Qc3 Qg5 32.d6 Nf4 33.Bc4+ Kf8 34.Rc8+ 1-0
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buddy2
27 ( +1 | -1 )
endgame cd's Don't forget computer cd's! There's one that I have called "Chess Endgame Training" by Convekta. See Convekta.com. It's like the CT arts disk for tactics only this runs the gamut of endgames. I think it's pretty neat and you can focus in on your particular weakness.
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