Karsten Müller

Karsten Müller, born 1970, has a world-wide reputation as one of the greatest endgame experts. He has, together with Frank Lamprecht written a book on the subject: “Fundamental Chess Endgames” in addition to other contributions such as his column on the website ChessCafe as well as in ChessBase Magazine. Müller's ChessBase-DVDs about endgames in Fritztrainer-Format are bestsellers. The PhD in mathematics lives in Hamburg, where he has also been hunting down points for the HSK in the Bundesliga for many years.

Recent news

Endgame Magic with Karsten Mueller and Jan Werle

10/8/2019 – Today's guest in Karsten Mueller's Endgame Show is Dutch GM Jan Werle. Live at 13:00 UTC (15:00 CEST, 9:00 AM EDT) and on-demand for ChessBase account holders. Don't have an account yet? You can register a free 90-day account to watch!

A powerful "zwischenzug"

10/8/2019 – The duel rook against bishop and knight is often fascinating and full of hidden details. In the diagram position White can use the bad position of Black's knight.

The battering ram

10/1/2019 – Usually, in the endgame rooks are much better than a knight. However, if only a few pawns remain on the board the defender might try to build a fortress. To crack such fortresses rooks often need support.

Triangulation

9/24/2019 – Even apparently simple pawn endings can be tricky.

Endgame Magic with Karsten Mueller and Alexey Shirov

9/19/2019 – Today's guest in Karsten Mueller's Endgame Show is the famous Alexey "Fire on Board" Shirov. We suspect Shirov has some surprising ideas to spark your endgame play. Live at 13:00 UTC (15:30 CEST, 9:00 AM EDT) and on-demand for ChessBase account holders. Don't have an account yet? You can register a free 90-day account to watch!

A strong and tricky knight

9/17/2019 – This wild endgame features a pawn race full of twists and turns that is as fun to watch as it is to win (or draw if you're playing White)!

Endgame Magic with Karsten Mueller and Erwin l'Ami

9/11/2019 – Thursday: It's a special early morning Endgame Magic! Dutch GM Erwin l'Ami is Karsten's guest. Live at 7:30 UTC (9:30 CEST; 3:30 AM EDT) and on-demand for ChessBase account holders. Don't have an account yet? You can register a free 90-day account to watch!

Retreat to advance

9/10/2019 – When fighting against a bishop in the endgame the defender often tries to create a fortress on the squares which the bishop cannot reach. However, one should not believe too much in fortresses.

Rook checks or switches

9/3/2019 – Usually the pawnless ending rook and bishop against rook results in a drawn position. But if the attacker's pieces are well-placed he or she can sometimes even win against material superiority.

Opening an Abyss

8/27/2019 – Even in the endgame direct mating attacks do occur. White to move and win.

Knight stops pawns

8/20/2019 – If only a few pawns remain on the board the likelihood of a draw increases. Knight endgames are the closest pure pawn endings in terms of the stronger side having winning chances, but as the pawn count shrinks, so does the probability of a decisive outcome.

Endgame Magic with Karsten Mueller and Chris Ward

8/15/2019 – English Grandmaster Chris Ward is Karsten's guest today. Live at 14:30 UTC (16:30 CEST; 10:30 AM EDT) and on-demand for ChessBase account holders. Don't have an account yet? You can register a free 90-day account to watch!

Endgame Magic with Karsten Mueller and Qiyu Zhou

8/13/2019 – Canadian FM Qiyu Zhou is Karsten's guest today. Live at 13:00 UTC (15:00 CEST; 9:00 AM EDT) and on-demand for ChessBase account holders. Don't have an account yet? You can register a free 90-day account to watch!

Tricky knights

8/13/2019 – Knights are tricky, and knight endings usually require precise calculation.

The two faces of the opposite-coloured bishops

8/6/2019 – Opposite-coloured bishops have two faces: in a pure endgame they are often drawn because the weaker side is often able to defend on the squares that his bishop controls. But with more pieces on the board the opposite-coloured bishops indeed tend to favour the attacker. In this case Black can use the attacking potential of his queen.

Endgame Magic with Karsten Mueller and Ivan Sokolov

8/1/2019 – Trainer, commentator, author and Grandmaster Ivan Sokolov is Karsten's guest today. Live at 13:00 UTC (15:00 CEST; 9:00 AM EDT) and on-demand for ChessBase account holders. Don't have an account yet? You can register a free 90-day account to watch!

Solid and not so solid walls

7/30/2019 – The duel of bishop against knight can be fascinating. The bishop often strives for dynamic play while the knight prefers more static positions.

A harmonious couple

7/23/2019 – Mating attacks are always possible, even in the endgame with only a few pieces left on the board.
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