A “Must” Addition to Your Library There are already many endgame books, so why this one? Well, most books deal with elementary endgames, or are very advanced and contain few exercises. But you have only really learned something when you can execute it at the board, with the clock ticking. And solving exercises is very close to this scenario. The authors present 450 endgame exercises designed to improve your understanding of endgame theory and sharpen your endgame expertise. Starting with the chapter “Specific Positions to Know,” they take you on a journey with just the right mix of practical advice and theoretical knowledge. Endgame Corner is detailed, well-researched, informative and in-depth, with both authors sharing their experiences, recent games and new examples... I really like this material and hope that you will as well. If you are fascinated by endings, or feel the need to improve this part of your game, this book is a “must” addition to your library. – From the Foreword by Wesley So About the Authors German grandmaster Karsten Müller hosts the popular ChessBase series Endgame Magic, and American grandmaster Alex Fishbein writes an endgame column for the American Chess Magazine. They are two of the world’s renown endgame experts. They were the editors of the fifth edition of the best-selling Dvoretsky Endgame Manual and they also collaborated on the Fasttrack Edition of DEM5.

Chess is 99% tactics. So to be a good chess player, you have to spend a lot of your training time on tactics. Although basic tactics are explained in a number good books, complicated tactics the kind that separate tournament winners from the pack require intuition, imagination and precision. The Magic of Chess Tactics helps you develop these qualities. Aimed primarily at aspiring chess players from club to master level who seriously want to improve their chess understanding, The Magic of Chess Tactics provides examples selected for both their entertainment and instructional value as well as detailed explanations and exercises. Claus Dieter Meyer, chess author and FIDE Master, is a well-known analyst and professional chess trainer. Karsten Muller is an International Grandmaster and co-author, along with Frank Lamprecht, of the highly acclaimed Secrets of Pawn Endings and œFundamental Chess Endings. "I have come to realise that there are basically two types of chess tactics. First, simple kinds of combinations you need to know when you start to play chess. I still believe they are the basis of everything. Things that computers see in a half-second. But the book is not about them. For those simple tactics, old Koblentz books are more than enough. This book is about *complicated* chess tactics, the kind you sometimes need hours of analysis just to discover the truth of the position. It's hard to see and calculate perfectly on the board; one needs intuition, imagination and precision. "It's not easy to develop these qualities but I believe that the present book, full of examples and high quality analyses, will help you achieve that objective. Welcome to the magical world of tactics!" From the Foreword by Alexei Shirov

Tactical Fireworks! When released in 2002, the first volume of The Magic of Chess Tactics by FIDE Master Claus Dieter Meyer and German Grandmaster Karsten Müller was extremely popular. It was one of the first books to deal with tactics on high level. Like the first book, intended for advanced (Elo 1800+) players, this second volume puts special tactical motifs and themes under the analytical microscope. Complicated tactics – the kind that separate tournament winners from the pack – require intuition, imagination and precision. The focus in this book is on attacking techniques and transformations. The contents include: Attacking with the Queen and Knight; The Knight on the Attack; Attacking with Bishops of Opposite Colors; Pins; Learn from the World Champions; and Exchanges & Transformations. The reader will find the analysis comprehensive and challenging. Dozens of exercises help reinforce the reader’s understanding of this complex subject matter. So, roll up your sleeves and prepare to ride herd on tactical fireworks and sharpen your tactical skills.

This is the first truly modern one-volume endgame encyclopaedia. It makes full use of endgame tablebases and analytical engines that access these tablebases; where previous authors could only make educated guesses, Muller and Lamprecht have often been able to state the definitive truth, or get much closer to it. New time-controls involve competitive games being played to a finish in one session, so it is especially important that chess-players understand the key endgame principles. This book provides comprehensive assistance for any players wishing to study the endgame. In addition to a feast of detailed analysis, the authors emphasize the practical side of endgame play, describing rules of thumb, principles, and thinking methods. Fundamental Chess Endings is both the ideal endgame reference work, and a book that can profitably and enjoyably be read from start to finish. Book jacket.

Mikhail Tal was one of the greatest geniuses of chess history. The magician from Riga, as he was known because of his dazzling attacking games, took the chess world by storm and in 1961, at the age of twenty-three, he won the world championship. His sacrificial style made Tal immensely popular with chess players all over the world. In this book Grandmaster Karsten Muller and chess journalist Raymund Stolze have created an instructional chess tactics guide by investigating and explaining the secrets of his breathtaking combinations. Moreover, the authors have selected from the games Tal played one hundred exercises which will teach amateurs how they can finish a game with a stunning sacrifice.