I have seen the future of endgame writing and research, and it is FUNDAMENTAL CHESS ENDINGS. This huge book deftly serves as a reference work, a workbook, and a guide to database-driven further study on this all-too-often neglected part of the game. This book blew me away when I first started working with it - it should be required study for anybody wanting to improve his or her play.

Most endgame books, even the good ones, fall into one of two categories. Either they delve into a limited number of topics or they seek to be an endgame reference. Some of the latter examples (such as Averbakh's series) stretch over several volumes. The beauty of the former category is that they can generally provide more discussion and depth. The best of these, such as Shereshevsky's ENDGAME STRATEGY (click to see Silman's and Watson's reviews of this book) or Speelman's ANALYZING THE ENDGAME, allow the reader an insight into specific endgame topics that rivals the extensive book coverage that exists on other parts of the games. Unfortunately, these books cannot cover all the key aspects of the endgame. While the reference books generally do a decent job of cataloguing the various endings that can arise, they often are about as interesting to read as the telephone book.

FUNDAMENTAL CHESS ENDINGS breaks the mold for endgame reference works. There is lots of helpful text that provides a general break down of material for each chapter, and the discussion of themes and the explanation of what is going on during the endgame examples are excellent. There are tons of diagrams with plenty of boxes and arrows and marked squares to visually explain many of the concepts. Further, exactly what will be covered in the chapter, and the page where it commences, is found at the beginning of each section. This is the sort of small attention to detail that runs throughout this book. It is much easier to locate the material you are looking for than in most works.

While ease of use is a big plus, the ability use FUNDAMENTAL CHESS ENDINGS as a learning text rather than just a reference sets this book apart. The authors cover very complex topics in a lucid, straightforward manner. While the concepts are still difficult, they are presented in a fashion that holds the reader's interest. One of my less pleasant chess memories was trying to learn to play the endgame using Fine's BASIC CHESS ENDINGS. While Fine's work was an excellent reference, it bored many a reader (including me) to tears. 

One thing that sets this book apart is the practical nature of the material. This starts from the very beginning, where the authors provide a useful statistical table on the occurrence of different types of endgames. The authors searched Chessbase's 2001 Mega Database, which contains 1.7 million games, mostly from the last two decades. The results can help guide a player to the types of endings to study. One of my teenage frustrations with BASIC CHESS ENDINGS was the esoteric nature of many of the positions - they didn't seem to ever arise in my own games. Here, however, you will find more coverage of endgames with more pieces and pawns. These are often the "just out of the middlegame and into the endgame" structures that many players find it difficult to grasp, particularly in terms of creating plans to transform them into simpler sorts of won (or drawn) endgames.

There are also a lot of examples from recent play, often among world-class players. These are helpful on several levels. First, you can be pretty sure you're encountering the kind of position that actually arises from regular play. Second, you often get to see that even the best players in the world make questionable moves - in some cases, a lot of them. 

The development of endgame tablebases and the use of analytical engines sets this book apart from earlier endgame references. You get the feeling that the assessment of many types of positions is authoritative here.

Muller and Lamprecht have already collaborated on an excellent endgame book, SECRETS OF PAWN ENDGINGS (click to see Watson's review of this book). That book also used a conversational style, emphasis on themes, and chapters that include exercises as a way to involve the reader.

FUNDAMENTAL CHESS ENDINGS starts with a discussion of the basic mates (starting with the easiest - queen and king versus king - and working to the hardest, two knights and king versus king and pawn). Following chapters are meant to build on the foundation of required endgame knowledge. The second chapter deals with pawn endgames. This includes a discussion of basic topics, such as the rule of the square, opposition, triangulation and fortresses. It also includes a critical but difficult subject, the theory of corresponding squares. Here the authors spend 3 full pages explaining its nuances, and I think I understand it better than I did previously.

In successive chapters, the authors deal with knight, bishop, knight versus bishop, rook endgames, rook versus minor piece, rook and minor piece versus rook (and minor piece, queen endings, and endgame strategy. Each chapter begins with the key themes of the particular piece ending, there are discussions of key themes and principles, and each chapter ends with exercises.  There are also further references given, often to more specialized works on the subject matter.

This is a very useful work that can be used in various ways. I enjoyed just picking it up and finding interesting endings to play through without use of the board. The authors' discussion rarely lapses into dreaded endgame pedantry. At the same time, there is plenty of analytic rigor.  I knew this was a special book when the authors took on endgames that had been analyzed differently and sought to "find the truth" - much like Speelman did in ANALYZING THE ENDGAME. 

Many players will benefit from using it as a text for actually studying the endgame, as the authors intend. Others will find it a very handy reference work, the type that fits nicely into a suitcase for the next weekend tournament.

In conclusion, this is the best one volume endgame reference work available. It belongs in the library of every serious chess player. More than that, it deserves serious study; don't be sorry, your chess will be the better for it.

Click HERE to see Donaldson's review of this book.

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