In his book « 100 endgames you must know », Jesus de la Villa wrote :
« Beyond a FIDE rating of around 1900-2000, greater endgame skill is a must. At this stage, problems usually arise, but the upside is that this extension of a player’s endgame skill will usually be enough at least until he becomes an International Master with a rating of around 2400. However, do not get me wrong: I am not saying that all IMs have done this, nor am I saying that any player who does it will automatically become an IM.
At this stage (2000 FIDE) we should move to the second phase and then the first thing to do is to acquire an exact knowledge of some theoretical endings. Otherwise, even players keen on simple positions who have a good command of the most typical themes will often hesitate when they have to shift to a simpler ending, thus spoiling their previous efforts. Moreover, some typical endgame themes will be necessary here, but most are learned from the study of basic positions.
The ‘exact endings’ we need to remember are just a few. Besides, some are really easy to memorise, and others could be considered as marginal in view of their comparative rarity in practice. They are just a few, but you must know them well. This fundamental knowledge and the confidence we acquire with it is the starting point to study other positions of greater complexity or to turn a technical advantage into victory.
I intend to devote this book to the second phase, that is, the study of the ‘exact endings’, as I consider it the most neglected (perhaps because it is the least exciting) area. However, I am aware of the difficulties of this task. I have tried to summarise the most useful positions among the numerous endings, and to reduce them to a figure and volume that could be handled by a practical player as well as trainers or coaches. The final result was the symbolic number 100. »
We can therefore suppose that knowing those 100 endgames give more or less a endgame level of a player which rating is included between 2000 and 2400. If you read this book, what do you think of this ? Which is the endgame level reached by a player who acquires all of the knowledges contained in this book?
Moreover, what might we also think about levels indicated by Jeremy Silman in his book « Silman's Complete Endgame Course : from Beginner to Master » ? More precisely, he wrote :
« Believe it or not, if you completely master everything through Part Six, you will have an understanding of endgame basics that far surpasses 75% of those in the Expert (2000-2199) category. »
Thank you in advance for your opinions.
« Beyond a FIDE rating of around 1900-2000, greater endgame skill is a must. At this stage, problems usually arise, but the upside is that this extension of a player’s endgame skill will usually be enough at least until he becomes an International Master with a rating of around 2400. However, do not get me wrong: I am not saying that all IMs have done this, nor am I saying that any player who does it will automatically become an IM.
At this stage (2000 FIDE) we should move to the second phase and then the first thing to do is to acquire an exact knowledge of some theoretical endings. Otherwise, even players keen on simple positions who have a good command of the most typical themes will often hesitate when they have to shift to a simpler ending, thus spoiling their previous efforts. Moreover, some typical endgame themes will be necessary here, but most are learned from the study of basic positions.
The ‘exact endings’ we need to remember are just a few. Besides, some are really easy to memorise, and others could be considered as marginal in view of their comparative rarity in practice. They are just a few, but you must know them well. This fundamental knowledge and the confidence we acquire with it is the starting point to study other positions of greater complexity or to turn a technical advantage into victory.
I intend to devote this book to the second phase, that is, the study of the ‘exact endings’, as I consider it the most neglected (perhaps because it is the least exciting) area. However, I am aware of the difficulties of this task. I have tried to summarise the most useful positions among the numerous endings, and to reduce them to a figure and volume that could be handled by a practical player as well as trainers or coaches. The final result was the symbolic number 100. »
We can therefore suppose that knowing those 100 endgames give more or less a endgame level of a player which rating is included between 2000 and 2400. If you read this book, what do you think of this ? Which is the endgame level reached by a player who acquires all of the knowledges contained in this book?
Moreover, what might we also think about levels indicated by Jeremy Silman in his book « Silman's Complete Endgame Course : from Beginner to Master » ? More precisely, he wrote :
« Believe it or not, if you completely master everything through Part Six, you will have an understanding of endgame basics that far surpasses 75% of those in the Expert (2000-2199) category. »
Thank you in advance for your opinions.
