Many players, of all levels, use their chess study time to concentrate
almost exclusively on the openings. Very few players spend much time at
all studying endgames and this is almost certainly a mistake. Making a
poor move in the opening might leave you with a slightly uncomfortable
position. Making a poor move in the endgame can easily transform a win
into a draw or even a loss. If you want to make any sort of serious
progress at chess it is vital to understand fundamental endgame play.
Having an instinctive understanding of which positions are winning,
drawing and losing is essential as it enables you to plan your endgame
strategies with great confidence, knowing that you are heading for
positions that are favourable to you. In this book, Cyrus Lakdawala
analyses all the fundamental endgame positions and carefully explains
the methods needed to win the favourable ones and draw the unfavourable
ones. First Steps is a new series and is ideal for improving players who
want simple and straightforward explanations.