Karsten Müller

Karsten Müller is considered to be one of the greatest endgame experts in the world. His books on the endgame - among them "Fundamentals of Chess Endings", co-authored with Frank Lamprecht, that helped to improve Magnus Carlsen's endgame knowledge - and his endgame columns for the ChessCafe website and the ChessBase Magazine helped to establish and to confirm this reputation. Karsten's Fritztrainer DVDs on the endgame are bestsellers. The mathematician with a PhD lives in Hamburg, and for more than 25 years he has been scoring points for the Hamburger Schachklub (HSK) in the Bundesliga.

Recent news

Gukesh's knights rule

12/17/2024 – Knights are tricky pieces and using their power often requires precise calculation. In the diagram position, which is from a game Gukesh and Wei Yi played at the Chess Olympiad in Budapest 2024, Gukesh found a way to win with his knights. What did he do?

The sharpest endgame weapon

12/10/2024 – Zugzwang is a typical endgame weapon. Usually the attacker uses it to force concessions, but when both sides are in zugzwang things can be different. In the diagram position it is White to move and draw. What should she do?

Breaking the fortress

12/3/2024 – In the diagram position White plays with a queen against a rook. However, as only a few pawns are left on the board, Black has chances to create a fortress and save the draw. What should White do to win the game?

Passed pawns can be dangerous

11/26/2024 – Passed pawns create problems - how to stop them, how to advance them. In the diagram position it is White to move and while he dreams about advancing his own passed pawns to win, he first has to stop Black's passed pawn. What should he do?

Be careful!

11/19/2024 – You should be extra careful before liquidating into a pawn endgame. In the diagram position it is Black to move and win. What should he do?

Is activity always called for?

11/12/2024 – One rule of thumb in rook endings is to get active - with your king and with your rook. But this is just a rule of thumb. In the diagram position it is Black to move and draw. What should she do?

The last pawn

11/5/2024 – When only a few pawns remain on the board, the attacker must be careful to keep at least one of them. In the diagram position it is Black to move. He still has two pawns and he has a way to win. What should he do?

A classic: knight vs bishop

10/29/2024 – In the diagram position it is Black to move, and he has to find a way to stop White's h-pawn from queening. In theory, Black's knight is up to this difficult task, in practice he was not and White won the game. Can you do better?

Always tricky: bishop vs knight

10/22/2024 – In the diagram position White has still all the pawns he had at the beginning of the game, but he also has a bad bishop because he put all those pawns on the colour of his bishop. And though he is a pawn up, White is in trouble and has to fight for a draw. What should he do?

The power of passed pawns

10/15/2024 – In an endgame a strong passed pawn is usually a big asset. In the diagram position it is White to move and win. What would you do?

Counterplay

10/8/2024 – In the diagram position it is Black to move and he fights for survival as White's far advanced e-pawn is very dangerous. However, Black has a way to draw. What would you do?

Stop!

10/1/2024 – Stopping the enemy king from getting active is often an effective weapon in endgames. In the diagram position Black is a pawn down, but he has a way to draw. What should he do?

Endgame Magic #285: Endgame highlights from the Olympiad

9/30/2024 – In the Endgame Magic Show #285 Karsten Müller looks a endgame highlights from the Chess Olympiad 2024 in Budapest. Karsten focuses on rook endgames, the kind of ending that most often occurs in practice. | You can watch the Endgame Magic Show on-demand with a ChessBase Premium account.

Rooks in seventh heaven

9/24/2024 – Two rooks on the seventh (or second) rank are usually strong. In the diagram position it is White to move and win. What should he do?

Knight against rook's pawn

9/17/2024 – A knight often has problems to fight against a- or h-pawn. In the diagram position, White's knight could have won that fight, but in the game White failed to find the win. Can you do better?

Endgame Magic #284: Highlights from the Sinquefield Cup

9/16/2024 – In the Endgame Magic Show #284 Karsten Müller and Arne Kähler continue to look at endgame highlights from the Sinquefield Cup. | You can watch the Endgame Magic Show on-demand with a ChessBase Premium account.

Endgame basics

9/10/2024 – The diagram shows a well-known theoretical endgame: King, knight and h-pawn against king and bishop. How does Black win?

Endgame Magic #283: Highlights from the Sinquefield Cup

9/9/2024 – In the Endgame Magic Show #283 Karsten Müller and Arne Kähler take a look at endgame highlights from the Sinquefield Cup 2024. | You can watch the Endgame Magic Show on-demand with a ChessBase Premium account.
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