Shortlisted for The Guardian 2008 Chess Book of the Year Award
Most players tend to neglect the endgame, many even dodge the endgame by taking extreme risks in the middlegame, simply because they feel uncertain about the final phase.
But time limits have shortened, and the endgame has to be played fast. A solid basic knowledge is vital.
There are, contrary to what most amateurs believe, relatively few endgames one must know. Here the 100 endgames are presented that: - show up most frequently in practice - are easy to learn - contain ideas and concepts useful in more difficult positions.
Your performance will improve dramatically because this book brings you: - simple rules - guiding ideas at the beginning of each chapter - detailed and lively explanations - many diagrams - clear summaries of the most important themes - recommended exercises that will help you understand the material - tests, divided in two parts: basic and final.
This is not an encyclopedia to be used as a reference book, but a practical tool to improve your knowledge of endgames most likely to arise in an actual game.
Each example is explained in a way that helps you to memorise for ever. The basic thing De la Villa asks of you is to always understand WHY you play a move. Jesus de la Villa is an international grandmaster and a former champion of Spain. He has written many books and is a famous chess coach.
IM John Donaldson: "De la Villa does the job quite well. He emphasizes the practical and prefers understanding to memorization."
Frank Clevers, De Limburger: "Recommended for everyone who wants to improve his knowledge of practical endgames."
Marsh Towers Chess Reviews: "The material is well chosen and the presentation is excellent (..) The greatest strength of the book: breaking things down into well-worded chunks of easily digestible information."
Elburg Chess Reviews: "This book will certainly improve your endgame skills in a spectacular way!"
British Chess Magazine: "A clear exposition of the most imortant endgames, with exercises to test your knowledge."
Max Euwe Centre, Amsterdam: "The instructional explanations, the many diagrams and the pleasant presentation make this endgame book an interesting publication for club players with a rating from 1600."
Danny King & Ronan Bennett, The Guardian: "We all admired '100 Endgames' for its clarity and practical value."
B.H.Wilders, Nederlands Dagblad: "Every clubplayer should study this splendid book."
