Gottuk: Instructive chess endgames from practice

Winning a major title is not always the result of a spectacular attacking game, but sometimes a delicate victory in the endgame. Grandmaster Matthias Blübaum became European Champion in 2022 because he managed to get the best out of difficult endgames. In addition to intuition and strong nerves, in-depth knowledge of theoretically important positions and knowledge of important principles in the endgame are indispensable in the final phase of the game.

This book contains many valuable examples from tournament events over the past few years, in which the players had to overcome a wide range of practical challenges. The author provides readers with instructive insights into the endgame, not only through successful winning maneuvers or saving defensive ideas, but also through all kinds of failed attempts. Ultimately, the motto "learn from mistakes" is particularly important in chess and in developing one's own chess skills.

The numerous examples and more than 100 exercises and tests offered in this book can be used in different ways for training in self-study or in a study group. On the one hand, the structure of the chapters allows you to deal with a specific material relationship (e.g. endgames with pawns, knights, bishops, rooks), on the other hand, the given strategic and tactical motifs are clearly highlighted: from shielding to forced moves - from distraction to intermediate check. This means that every reader can approach their own personal training plan using the table of contents or the motif index.

The author, Stefan Gottuk, is a FIDE master and acquired a B-Trainer license from the DSB in 1994. He has been active for SC Diogenes Hamburg in the Oberliga and 2. Bundesliga North for more than 30 years.

358 pages, paperback, 2023