Basic Chess Endings

A bit of a classic. I don't know if it was the first book which tried to comprehensively deal with all basic endings in a single volume, but it was certainly the benchmark work in this area for years. Time has shown, however, that there are rather a lot of errors in it, and while Benko's modern edition apparently corrects quite a lot of them, it too is said to be flawed (though I haven't seen it myself). The book retains historical value, but for a practical guide Mueller and Lamprecht's "Fundamental Chess Endings" is certainly better nowadays, and I prefer "Batsford Chess Endings" as an encyclopaedic reference, though I know not everybody agrees with me (and it's true that Fine covers more ground in more detail).

I read this book, cover to cover. In chess, as the song goes, 'there isn't much difference between despair and ecstacy'. With BCE, you get the understanding that you can do the best with what you've got. Studying endgames is like brainstorming with a group of friends. It accomplishes far more than getting the whole mob together. Best time I've ever spent studying chess was reading BCE.

The classic work on chess endings, still valuable in the age of computer analysis. An incredible achievement by Reuben Fine.

Another bible gone west.

a chess classic...people are better off with a cd nowadays..

3/4/22

Chess Endings