The good news about endgames is:
• there are relatively few endings you should know by heart
• once you know these endings, that's it. Your knowledge never goes out of date!
The bad news is that, all the same, the endgame technique of most players is deficient. Modern time-controls make matters worse: there is simply not enough time to delve deep into the position.
Jesus de la Vila debunks the myth that endgame theory is complex and he teaches you to steer the game into a position you are familiar with.
This book contains only those endgames that:
• show up most frequently
• are easy to learn
• contain ideas that are useful in more difficult positions.
Your performance will improve dramatically because this book brings you:
• simple rules
• detailed and lively explanations
• many diagrams
• clear summaries of the most important themes
• dozens of tests.
Jesus de la Villa (1958) is an International Grandmaster born in Spain. He is a successful author and a well-known chess coach. He has won the Spanish Championship twice.
Shortlisted for The Guardian Chess Book of the Year Award
Gary Walters Chess:
"If you really have no patience for endgames, at least read Jesus de la Villa's '100 Endgames You Must Know'."
Marsh Towers Chess Reviews:
"The greatest strength of the book: breaking things down into well-worded chunks of easily digestible information."
IM John Donaldson, jeremysilman.com:
"De la Villa does the job quite well. He emphasizes the practical and prefers understanding to memorization."
Elisabeth Vicary, USCF Online:
"[Former Women World Champion Alexandra Kosteniuk] said she had really enjoyed De la Villa's '100 Endgames You Must Know' and had made flashcards out of the 100 positions. One side of the card had the position, the solution was written out on the reverse, and she quizzed herself until she knew all 100."
