Chess Books: Endgames

The endgame is a part of chess where you should certainly invest some time in. As many chess trainers will tell you, this will improve your tournament results for sure.

Here we provide a list of our favourite endgame books. Each book was reviewed by us and we share here our thoughts.

As always:

You cannot buy these books here on our website. When you want to buy one you can contact your local chess dealer or buy at Amazon. We also know that many players are living in areas where no dealer is available, or the dealer doesn't have the recommended book, or Amazon is not delivering or you don't have a credit card to but Amazon. In these cases send us an email and we see if we can help you ( --> PDF )

Nunn,J - Nunn`s Chess Endings Vol. 1 2010
Nunn,J - Nunn`s Chess Endings Vol. 2· 2010
van Perlo,G - Van Perlo's Endgame Tactics 3rd ed. 2008
Dvoretsky,M - Dvoretskys Endgame Manual Second Edition 2008
Lutz,C- Endgame Secrets 1999
Shereshevsky,M && Slutsky,L - Mastering the Endgame Vol_1 1996
Shereshevsky,M && Slutsky,L - Mastering the Endgame Vol_2 1992
Shereshevsky,M - Endgame strategy 1985
Beliavsky,A && Mikhalchishin,A - Winning Endgame Technique 1996
Beliavsky,A && Mikhalchishin,A - Winning Endgame Strategy 2000

This list so far are our top ten of endgame books. We consider this as the basic knowledge you should have when you want to reach ELO 2200+.

Additional books are:

Alburt,L && Krogius,N - Just the facts, Winning Endgame Knowledge in one Volume 2000
Averbakh,Y && Chekhover,V - Comprehensive Chess Endings 1 - Bishop & Knight Endings 1983
Averbakh,Y - Comprehensive Chess Endings 2 - Bishop vs Knight, Rook vs Minor Pieces 1991
Averbakh,Y && Henkin,V && Chekhover,V - Comprehensive Chess Endings 3 - Queen Endings 1986
Averbakh,Y && Maizelis,I - Comprehensive Chess Endings 4 - Pawn Endings 1987
Averbakh,Y && Kopaev,N - Comprehensive Chess Endings 5 - Rook Endings 1987
Averbakh,Y - Chess Endings - Essential Knowledge 1999
Chess Informant - 2611 Chess Endings
de la Villa,J - 100 Endgames You Must Know 2008
Dvoretsky,M - Tragicomedy in the Endgame 2011
Dvoretsky,M && Pervakov,O - Studies for Practical Players 2009
Dvoretsky,M && Yusupov,A - Endgame Analysis 2003
Emms,J - Starting out Minor Piece Endgames 2004
Emms,J - The Survival Guide to Rook Endings 1999
Flear,G - Improve Your Endgame Play 2000
Flear,G - Mastering the Endgame 2001
Flear,G - Practical Endgame Play 2007
Flear,G - Starting Out Pawn Endgames 2004
Giddins,S - 101 Chess Endgame Tips - Golden Nuggets of Endgame Wisdom 2007
Griffiths,P - Exploring the Endgame 1984
Hajenius,W && Van Riemsdijk,H - The Final Countdown 1997
Hansen,L - Secrets of Chess Endgame Strategy 2006
Howell,J - Essential Chess Endings 1997
Karolyi,T && Aplin,N -Endgame Virtuoso Anatoly Karpov 2007
Korchnoi,V - Practical Rook Endings 2002
Lund,E - Rook vs Two Minor Pieces 2005
Matanovic,A - Encyclopedia of Chess Endings Pawn Endings 1982
Matanovic,A - Encyclopedia of Chess Endings Knight and Bishop Endings 1985
Matanovic,A - Encyclopedia of Chess Endings Rook Endings 1 1985
Matanovic,A - Encyclopedia of Chess Endings Rook Endings 2 1986
Matanovic,A - Encyclopaedia of Chess Endings Queen Endings 1989
Mayer,S - Bishop versus Knight - The Verdict 1997
Mednis.E - Practical Knight Endings 1993
Mednis,E - From the Middlegame into the Endgame 1996
Mednis,E - From the Opening into the Endgame 1991
Mednis,E - Practical Rook Endings 1995
Mednis,E - Questions and Answers on Practical Endgame Play 1987
Meszaros,G - The Secrets of the Opposite-Coloured Bishop Endings vol.1 2010
Minev,N - A Practical Guide to Rook Endgames 2004
Mueller,K && Lamprecht,F - Fundamental Chess Endings 2002
Mueller,K && Lamprecht,F - Secrets of Pawn Endings 2000
Müller,K && Pajeken,W - How To Play Chess Endgames 2008
Nunn,J - Secrets of Minor-Piece Endings 1995
Nunn,J - Secrets of Pawnless Endings 2002
Nunn,J - Secrets of Rook Endings 1992
Nunn,J - Tactical Chess Endings 1981
Nunn,J - Understanding Chess Endgames 2009
Pachman,L - Chess endings for the practical player 1983
Pandolfini,B - Pandolfini's Endgame Course 1988
Rosen,B - Chess Endgame Training 2003
Seirawan,Y - Winning Chess Endings 2003
Silman,J - Essential Chess Endings explained Move by Move Vol.1 1992
Silman,J - Silman's Complete Endgame Course - From Beginer to Master 2007
Smyslov,V - Endgame Virtuoso 2003
Smyslov,V && Levenfish,G - Rook Endings 1989
Snape,I - Chess Endings Made Simple 2003
Soltis,A - Grandmaster Secrets - Endings 1997
Speelman,J - Analysing the Endgame 2nd_edition 1988
Speelman,J - Endgame Preparation 1997
Timman,J - Studies and Games 1996
Tsvetkov,A - Pawn Endings 1985
Van Reek,J - Basic Endgame Strategy 1997
Ward,C - Modern Practical Endings 1993
Ward,C - Starting Out Rook Endings 2004

These are over 60 additional books which we have in our collection. Read the reviews to see which are for beginners or which have nearly made it into the top 10. You don't need to study all of them, but some are really good reading.

Should we have missed something, please send us a note and we will check.

Last Updated on Friday, 03 February 2012 23:21