Saturday, July 01, 2006

Chess Endgames 1

I recently picked up a copy of the Chessbase DVD "Chess Endgames Volume 1" by Karsten Muller.
All I can say is wow.
For me there is no comparison in the amount of information I retain after seeing an actual demonstration versus just reading about it and trying to understand what I just read.
After just one viewing of the segment about Bishop+Knight+King vs. King I can now pull this mate off instantaneously. I wonder how many times I tried to master this through just reading alone. But once I saw the technique in action the proverbial light bulb went into the on position.

Karsten Muller does a great job in demystifying endings and explaining the key concepts in a manner and style that is easy to retain. So far I’m on Chapter Two (Pawn Endings) and loving it. Once I go through the entire disk I plan on playing through the examples versus the computer until I can memorize each technique cold. (I did this with the B+N+K vs K and it really helped drive the point home.)

So if you are trying to expand your endgame knowledge by all means you should not
hesitate in purchasing this DVD it is amazing.