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

The Luftloch

6/10/2025 – In the diagram position it is Black to move. She has a strong passed pawn on the e-file, but her back rank is weak. Is there a way to secure an advantage for Black?

Hiding away

6/3/2025 – In the diagram position White has dangerous passed pawns but has to find a way to overcome Black's resistance. What should she do?

Endgame Magic #300 - with Karsten Müller and Kostya Kavutsky: Highlights from the TePe Sigeman Tournament

6/2/2025 – In the Endgame Magic Show #300, Karsten Müller and his guest Kostya Kavutsky look at endgame highlights they discovered in games from the TePe Sigeman Tournament in Malmö. | You can watch the Endgame Magic Show on-demand with a ChessBase Premium account.

A strong knight

5/27/2025 – When knights are strong, they can be very strong. In the diagram position it is White to move and win. What should he do?

Endgame Magic #299: Highlights from the Bundesliga

5/26/2025 – In the Endgame Magic Show #299, Karsten Müller looks at highlights from the German Bundesliga, arguably the world's strongest national team event. | You can watch the Endgame Magic Show on-demand with a ChessBase Premium account.

Precision required

5/20/2025 – Pawn endings are often tricky and require precise calculation. In the diagram position it is White to move and win. What should he do?

Endgame Magic #298: Highlights from the Women World Championship, Part 3

5/19/2025 – In the Endgame Magic Show #298, Karsten Müller continues to analyse endgames from the Women's World Championship match between Ju Wenjun and Tan Zhongyi. Defending champion Ju Wenjun won the match 6.5-2.5 and impressed with her endgame skills. | You can watch the Endgame Magic Show on-demand with a ChessBase Premium account.

Endgame Magic #297: Highlights from the Women World Championship, Part 2

5/13/2025 – In the Endgame Magic Show #297, Karsten Müller continues to analyse endgames from the Women's World Championship match between Ju Wenjun and Tan Zhongyi. Defending champion Ju Wenjun won the match 6.5-2.5 and impressed with her endgame skills. | You can watch the Endgame Magic Show on-demand with a ChessBase Premium account.

The power of passed pawns

5/13/2025 – In the diagram position it is Black to move - how should he parry White's check and how should he use his pawns to defeat White's bishop?

Bishop vs knight

5/6/2025 – In the diagram position White is a pawn up but still has to find a way to win. What should he do?

Endgame Magic #296: Ju Wenjun vs Tan Zhongyi

5/5/2025 – In the Endgame Magic Show #296, Karsten Müller analyses endgames from the Women's World Championship match between Ju Wenjun and Tan Zhongyi. Defending champion Ju Wenjun won the match 6.5-2.5 and impressed with her endgame skills - but in the second game of the match these skills failed her. | You can watch the Endgame Magic Show on-demand with a ChessBase Premium account.

Cutting off the enemy king

4/29/2025 – This weapon can be used by the attacking and the defending side. In the diagram position Black used it to hold the draw. How?

Endgame Magic #295 - with Karsten Müller and Arne Kähler: Endgame highlights from the European Women's Championship

4/28/2025 – In the Endgame Magic Show #295, Karsten Müller and Arne Kähler look at endgames from the European Women's Championship in April - Teodora Injac from Serbia won. | You can watch the Endgame Magic Show on-demand with a ChessBase Premium account.

Knights are tricky

4/22/2025 – In the diagram position it is White to move and win. He is a pawn up, but has to keep an eye on Black's f-pawn - and should not forget that knights are tricky pieces! What should White do to win the game?

Endgame Magic #294 - with Karsten Müller and Arne Kähler: Endgame highlights from the European Championship

4/21/2025 – In the Endgame Magic Show #294, Karsten Müller and Arne Kähler look at endgames from the European Championship that was won by German Grandmaster Matthias Blübaum. German Grandmaster Frederik Svane finished in second place. In the course of the tournament, both showed their endgame skills. | You can watch the Endgame Magic Show on-demand with a ChessBase Premium account.

Small army, strong attack

4/15/2025 – Mate ends the game - a good reason to look out for mating attacks, even in position with only a few pieces left on the board. In the diagram position Black played 76...Rh1?, a mistake that allowed White to end the game in fine fashion. How?

Endgame Magic #293: Highlights from the American Cup

4/14/2025 – In his Endgame Magic Show #293, Karsten Müller looks at endgame highlights from the American Cup. In one of the endgames picked by Karsten, Abhimanyu Mishra showed his defensive skills and his endgame knowledge. | You can watch the Endgame Magic Show on-demand with a ChessBase Premium account.

A good knight

4/8/2025 – In a fight bishop against knight, the knight usually wants to keep things under control while bishops like dynamics. In the diagram position it is White to move and win. What would you do?
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