1/30/2018 – Endgames with opposite-coloured bishops are often drawn but these endgames are also often very attractive because often material is less important than piece activity. This leads again and again to interesting tactical turns.

1/23/2018 – Steinitz often emphasised the strength of the king. Of course, kings are particularly strong in the endgame because they are less vulnerable with fewer pieces on the board. But even if you can no longer mate the enemy king, you should keep a good eye on him.

1/16/2018 – In the endgame bishops are usually better equipped to fight against passed pawns than knights. After all, they are long-range pieces and not that easy to put into zugzwang. But bishops need room to manoeuvre.

1/9/2018 – It is nice if you can dominate and paralyse the enemy pieces. However, this alone often is not sufficient for a win. Particularly, if only a few pieces are left on the board. A nice example from a game of Timur Gareyev.

1/2/2018 – Some endgames look hopeless: the king cannot move, the pawns cannot advance and heavy material losses seem to be unavoidable. But sometimes, when everything seems to be lost, there is an escape.

12/27/2017 – Oh, the pawns! Every pawn is a potential queen but the way to the queening square is long and full of danger. "Zugzwang" and a powerful enemy rook are just two of them.

12/19/2017 – "Do not rush!" is a well-known rule of thumb in the endgame. Indeed, in many endgames the direct way often is often a dead end. To know which way to go usually requires precise calculation.

12/18/2017 – Botvinnik has many quotes which well describe this book. One which comes to mind is the following: "Chess mastery essentially consists of analyzing Chess positions accurately." Often as chess players we look for the miraculous shortcut, which will improve our strength, without putting in the necessary hard work to achieve it. Instead, the following review shows how one cannot become good at chess, without the painstaking work of analysis!

12/18/2017 – For an adult player Christmas can come early — In this case more than a year ago, May of 2016, when reviewer Davide Nastasio discovered Magic Of Tactics 2. Here's his take just in time for the holidays. There's also a corresponding book, which Davide will look at in a follow-up post.

12/12/2017 – "Chess is 99 percent tactics" is an often-quoted aphorism usually ascribed to Richard Teichmann. This number seems exaggerated but that does not change the fact that it pays to keep an eye on tactics — till the very end.

12/5/2017 – Of course, a rook is stronger than a bishop. This is one of the first things you learn in chess. But sometimes rooks are helpless against bishops. Particularly so if passed pawns join the game.

11/29/2017 – Pawns are not particularly mobile: on the first move they can take two steps, after that only one. They know only one direction unless they capture enemy pawns or pieces. But sometimes the pawns are invisibly — and powerfully — connected.

11/25/2017 – The 100th episode of Endgame Magic is airing on Monday. We have a special guest for this jubilee: None other than Wesley So. He joins Karsten to look at some fascinating endgame from recent tournament praxis! Live at 15:00 CET (9:00 AM EST)!

11/21/2017 – Usually it is good and fun to snatch the pawns of the opponent in an endgame. But sometimes the pawns of your opponents are your biggest help. Then you should think twice before snatching them!

11/15/2017 – Passed pawns often lead to exciting tactics. They invite sacrifices and can lead to mating attacks that have to be calculated carefully. But sometimes the tactical possibilities are even more sophisticated.

11/14/2017 – Lawrence Trent is an Internation Master from The United Kingsdom. He's in Hamburg to record a DVD. He also has his own weekly show on playchess (this evening at 18:00 CET). He joins Karsten to today look at some fascinating endgame from recent tournament praxis! Live at 15:00 CET (9:00 AM EST)!

11/7/2017 – Rustam Kasimdzhanov is a Grandmaster from Uzbekistan. A former FIDE World Champion, Rustam is also and renowned author and trainer of top players like Fabiano Caruana. He joins Karsten to look at some of his own fascinating endgame from recent years! Live at 15:00 CET (9:00 AM EST)!

11/7/2017 – Opposite-coloured bishops are a paradox. In the middlegame they favour the attacker. In the endgame they favour the defender. In fact, some endgames with opposite-coloured bishops are drawn even if one side is two pawns up. But they don't draw themselves! You still have work to do.