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

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.

Riddle: Karpov-Hort 1979 - Solution

9/4/2024 – In the final round of a Dutch tournament (in Waddingxveen 1979) World Champion Anatoly Karpov beat the second-placed GM Vlastimil Hort. But could the world-class Czech grandmaster have prevented this happening? This was the question we asked in our last Riddle. Today we provide you with the answer.

Is a knight on the rim always dim?

9/3/2024 – In the diagram position, White is a pawn down and his knight seems to be far away from the action. However, White can hold the game. How?

Endgame Magic #282: Vincent Keymer's strong start at the Rubinstein Memorial 2024

9/2/2024 – Germany's 19-year-old number 1, Vincent Keymer, had a great start at the Rubinstein Memorial in Poland. He scored 4 out of 4, which helped him win the tournament with 6.0/9. In the latest Endgame Magic Show, Karsten Müller takes a closer look at the endgame skills Keymer showed in Poland. | You can watch the Endgame Magic Show on-demand with a ChessBase Premium account.

New Riddle: Karpov-Hort 1979

8/28/2024 – Four world-class grandmasters met in a Dutch town for a double round-robin tournament. It was dominated by World Champion Anatoly Karpov, who went into the final round with a 1½-point lead and faced the second-placed GM Vlastimil Hort. Karpov won the game – but could Hort have prevented this happening? That's an interesting riddle we want to solve. Can you help us?

The king is king

8/27/2024 – In endgames, king activity is often crucial. In the diagram position, White is a pawn up and her rook and her king are more active. However, White still has to win the game. What should she do?

Endgame Magic #281: Nico Zwirs wins Dortmund

8/26/2024 – In the Endgame Magic Show #281 Karsten Müller shows why it is so useful to know what to do in endgames and takes a look at the game that decided the Dortmund Open 2024. It was played by Dutch IM Nico and helped the ChessBase author to win the tournament. | You can watch the Endgame Magic Show on-demand with a ChessBase Premium account.

The right retreat

8/20/2024 – In pawn endings, precise calculation is important. In the diagram position, Black is a pawn up and can win. What would you do?

Endgame Magic #280: With Karsten Müller and Arne Kähler

8/19/2024 – In the Endgame Magic Show #280 Karsten Müller and Arne Kähler have fun with two interesting rook endgames. | You can watch the Endgame Magic Show on-demand with a ChessBase Premium account.

Calculation is important

8/13/2024 – In the diagram position Black is a pawn up, but has to find a way to parry White's attack on the h-pawn. What would you do?

Endgame Magic #279: Two endgame highlights from Biel

8/12/2024 – In the Endgame Magic Show #279 Karsten Müller presents two interesting endgames from the tournament in Biel. | You can watch the Endgame Magic Show on-demand with a ChessBase Premium account.
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