Thanks for your replies. From this I think I perhaps need to rethink my approach and be more practical. Instead of memorizing the positions by heart I will simply solve studies.

Does someone have Convekta's software called "Studies" and in that case would you say it would be sufficient for me to reach the 2300 barrier, at least in terms of endgame knowledge? If I study all of these positions through

Andy Soltis wrote a book designed to answer this very question.  Something like Grandmaster Secrets Endings.  His basic premise is that while you need a certain amount of technical knowledge, you don't need to learn most of what's in Fine's Basic Chess Endings.  Important things are to keep a fighting attitude and to keep calculating.

aspiringplayer wrote on 04/24/09 at 02:04:56:


Depends how strong you are already, but what you describe sounds way over the top to me. "memorize 50 important pawn endgames by heart" - ye gods - there are far more effective methods, and far better uses for your available study time.

As other threads have pointed out, there are two keys to learning to be a decent endgame player:

1) learn the FEW essential basic "precise positions" of each main type of ending and the associated principles and techniques;
2) learn the "typical methods of play" in endgame positions that are not yet reducible to "precise positions".

I find most of my students reach FIDE 1900 easily just learning thoroughly the basic positions given in something like "Chess Coaching" by John Littlewood or "Endgames in Chess" by Schuster. Other endgames can be dealt with as they arise in the student's own games.

Beyond 1900-ish, obviously some more advanced material is useful:
Howell's "Essential Chess Endings" is very good - more meaty than Littlewood or Schuster, but all useful, practical stuff.

For the really ambitious 2100 who is aiming at FM or IM, there now seem to be many good advanced books, e.g. Dvoretsky, De la Villa, Silman, Flear.

Edit: I've not used Yusupov's "Build up your chess" course (Publ. Quality Chess) with any students, but it seems to me that this is very good material, providing a balanced diet (i.e. all aspects of the game, including endings) in a fairly systematic programme. The first two volumes are intended to provide a thorough grounding for reaching 1800 strength, in all respects. The third volume (only available in German so far) is intended to take you to 2100, but I know many 2200-2400 rated players who have gaps in their basic (according to Yusupov) knowledge that this course would fill.

Right now I am doing pawn endings and learning a lot of different themes. Later I will do a lot of exercises on these. Once I can memorize 50 important pawn endgames by heart and the solutions to them I will go on to another type of endgame, for example rook endings.

Once I have done the same thing with Rook, minor pieces, major pieces does someone think this method will be sufficient for me to beat players 2000-2200 consistently in the endgame, everything else being equal?

How would you personally structure a plan in order to become really good within a year?

Thanks for your input!