Mastering Queen vs Pieces endgames

Publisher: Chess Evolution, 2017, Pages: 312, Paperback

As you may already be aware, the publishing house ‘Chess Evolution’ is printing a series called ‘The Modern Endgame Manual’ which will consist primarily of eight books and will deal with everything concerning the endgame. I was surprisingly pleased when the Editor in Chief, GM Arkadij Naiditsch, asked me to write two of the total eight books. But I was a bit ‘disappointed’ when it was made clear to me that I would have to deal with a quite difficult subject: Queen vs Pieces Endgames!

But OK, nothing is really difficult nowadays. Th e modern author has at his disposal powerful databases, tablebases, analysed material, books and, by adding his knowledge, you will alwys find what you are looking for! The endgame is a phase of the game that has been extensively analysed and formed to concrete conclusions, although in nearly all the books I know of, very little space is dedicated to the queen vs pieces endgame subject. I think this is mainly because of space limitations and because it’s a difficult theme that doesn’t appear too interesting for the readers. But a modern chess player cannot really choose what he likes or prefers — this has nothing to do with openings!

Today we have shorter time-controls and there isn’t really enough time to dig around on the subtleties of each ending. You have to know and to repeat knowledge; don’t be carried away by the usual myth of the ‘chess talent’. As I have repeatedly written and proved, ‘talent is the excuse of the failed’. ‘Unfortunately’, the modern chess player is entitled and forced to work more than his predecessors. The modern chess trainer also needs to prepare more delicate themes, understand them and then teach them to his students as well. So, there is plenty of room for everything and for everybody who is thirsty for knowledge.