Undermining the defenses

Bishops convert new flock

White to play and win

Karsten Mueller in ChessBase Magazine

Chess Endgames 5 - Endgame Principles Activity & Initiative

Activity is above all important when we consider the role of the kings in the endgame because it is then that they leave their protective shield of pawns and take an active part in the proceedings. A further major topic is the activity of the rook and it is not uncommon in the ending for a pawn to be sacrificed to obtain such activity. The chapter on initiative introduces, for example, endgames such as rook+knight against rook+knight, because neither of these pieces is suited to a passive role and even a slight initiative can be sufficient for victory. In the endgame mate should contantly be in your thoughts. So, for example, Stamma’s mate is treated, as are mating attacks in rook endings and the 4th phase of the game. The correct choice of pieces to exchange naturally always plays an important role, but generally speaking the cost of every wrong move increases in the endgame. Video runnig time: 4 hrs 18 min.

Do you like these lessons? There are plenty more by internationally renowned endgame expert Dr Karsten Müller in ChessBase Magazine, where you will also find openings articles and surveys, tactics, and of course annotations by the world's top grandmasters.

Apart from his regular columns and video lectures in ChessBase Magazine there is a whole series of training DVDs by Karsten Mueller, which are bestsellers in the ChessBase Shop.

Karsten Mueller regularly presents endgame lessons in the ChessBase Video Portal

Chess Endgames 1 to 14

All endgame DVDs by Karsten Müller in one package! More than 70 hours of instruction! from "Basic knowledge for beginners" (volume 1) to "Practical Rook Endgames" (volume 8) to the ever-popular "Golden Guidelines of Endgame Play" (volume 14).

Highlights of this issue

• 

  The cunning 6.a3!?
  Alexander Seyb investigates a fresh way to tackle the Najdorf

• IQP positions welcome!
  Robert Hungaski recommends 3.e3 e5! In the QGA

• Middlegames without minor pieces
  Mihail Marin on successful strategies with queen and rooks

• All for the trade of queens - 13.g4!? vs. the Maroczy
  David Navara dissects his endgame triumph over Dmitry Jakovenko in Jerusalem

• “My favourite game of 2019”
  Together with Simon Williams, retrace the game Dubov-Svane - “Move by Move”!

• Star analyses
  Annotated games by Giri, Firouzja, So, Duda, Navara, Van Foreest, Nielsen, Sarin, l’Ami and more

• A fresh wind against the Caro-Kann Exchange Variation
  Roven Vogel recommends  ...♝f5 as an antidote

• My first draw against the World Champion!
  Jan-Krzysztof Duda analyses an explosive encounter from Wijk

• Dutch duel
  Anish Giri reviews his game vs. Jorden Van Foreest

• Long-term compensation
  Real sacrifices are the ones not leading to victory directly. Interactive video with Oliver Reeh!

• Quiet move decides king hunt
  Rainer Knaak presents another trap in the Philidor Defence (video)

Links

• More endgame columns
• More from Karsten Mueller
• The complete Chess Endgames training video series