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 Müller and Robert Ris

2/19/2019 – Karsten is joined by Robert Ris. This week's show is live at 14:00 UTC (15:00 CET, 9:00 AM EST) and FREE to watch on-demand (for a limited time)!

Fast pawns and tricky endings

2/19/2019 – Pawn endings sometimes appear simple but they can be really tricky. And you may see this deceptively simple position as a warm-up for today's "Endgame Magic Show" in which Karsten Müller has Robert Ris as his guest. The "Endgame Magic Show" starts live at 14:00 UTC (15:00 CET, 9:00 AM EST) and is FREE to watch on-demand (for a limited time)! But first enjoy the warm-up.

A fast king

2/12/2019 – Pawn races require precise calculation. Calculation which you might see as a warm-up for today's "Endgame Magic Show" in which Karsten Müller has Erwin l'Ami as his guest. The "Endgame Magic Show" starts live at 14:30 UTC (15:30 CET, 9:00 AM EST) and is FREE to watch on-demand (for a limited time)! But first enjoy the warm-up.

Endgame Magic with GM Erwin l'Ami

2/12/2019 – Karsten is joined by Grandmaster Erwin l'Ami. This week's show is live at 14:30 UTC (15:30 CET, 9:00 AM EST) and FREE to watch on-demand (for a limited time)!

The ram

2/5/2019 – Fortresses are sometimes very solid and difficult to break.

Tricky knight and Stamma's mate

1/29/2019 – When a knight moves, it always moves to a square of the opposite colour and, in this sense, cannot lose a tempo. This is what makes "zugzwang" so crucial. It's black to play and draw...

Endgame Magic with GM Sergei Tiviakov

1/22/2019 – Karsten is joined by Grandmaster Sergei Tiviakov. This week's show is live at 15:00 CEST (13:00 UTC; 9:00 AM EDT) and FREE to watch on-demand (for a limited time)!

Stalemate helps

1/22/2019 – Some endgames contain surprising possibilities to save seemingly lost positions. And sometimes these possibilities are not difficult to find — because there are hardly any alternatives left. Black to play and draw...

No-go squares

1/15/2019 – Pawn endings, more so than other endgames, lead to a decisive result. They require precise play and good theoretical knowledge.

A swinging king

1/8/2019 – Far advanced passed pawns are usually very strong. However, in the following case, they can be stopped. Black to move and draw.

Endgame Magic: The best endgames of 2018

1/3/2019 – Karsten reviews the best endgames of 2018, checks in on our reader poll and gives his own opinions. This week's show is live at 15:00 CEST (13:00 UTC; 9:00 AM EDT) and FREE to watch on-demand (for a limited time)!

Rooks belong behind passed pawns

1/1/2019 – It was Dr Tarrasch who formulated this famous principle and though there are, of course, exceptions and positions in which the rook is better placed on the side of the pawn, in rook endings this is still a very good rule of thumb.

Hiding away

12/25/2018 – Knowing typical patterns and tricks makes you play better chess in general and rook endings in particular.

A not so solid bishop block

12/18/2018 – Usually two bishops win against pawns but usually in chess you also have to be careful till the opponent resigns or is mated.

Bishops and advanced pawns

12/11/2018 – In the endgame, far advanced passed pawns are often very dangerous. But in this endgame with dark-squared bishops, the player with the black pieces can navigate the dangerous waters to safety. Can you?

Traveling knight

12/4/2018 – An extra piece usually wins. However, with reduced material the win is often difficult.

A great rook

11/27/2018 – Rook and knight are not always in harmony. Coordinating them properly often requires precision.

A passed pawn is still a pawn

11/20/2018 – A passed pawn on the seventh can be very strong. But sometimes the pawn cannot queen and remains just a pawn.
Scroll down to reload more