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Rating: 
Summary: A piece of junk.
Review: First of all, I got this book used so even if it was horrible, I can't complain cause I only dropped a few bucks for it. But that isn't the case. This is a very good book, but be sure you buy it for the right reasons. If you're looking for a book that teaches how to neutralize an extra pawn in a Rook and Pawn ending, or looking for some basic principles or advice, this isn't for you. I'd suggest Fundamental Chess Endings for you, that is very big, comprehensive, and it even won a book of the year award. But that is also pretty pricey. With this book you get a collection of diagrams, on per page, and you are supposed to find the win for white. Think of it like a tactical puzzle book for the endgame. While it is instructive while you're reading it, I found it hard to be able to broaden its help to my endgame play. Unless you find yourself in that exact position, it doesn't do much because you don't know how to get there. In any case, and practice for the endgame is good practice, and this definately gives you that. It is very easily organized, dealing with pretty much all combinations of material on the board. One thing you should know tho is that it is in descriptive notation. It might be a problem, it might not, but you should know. So finally, I would say get this book if you want to get practice at specific endgame positions. Maybe if you're a better player than I am you can unversalize what happens and get some sort of principles out of it.
Rating:
Summary: A piece of junk.
Review: I hate this book. All it has is junk but I only read about one page, but I hate it. This has got to be one of the worst endgame chess book ever. I think Irving Chernev made too much of (Example) K-qb2 and not enough words.
Rating: 
Summary: Excelent, if slightly flawed, book
Review: I should give this book 5 full stars as it really is one of the best endgame book available. At our local chess club the Masters give lectures on Thursday nights. During their endgame series of lectures I was able to find every example they used in this book. The master's lecture concept was that rather than building up an opening repetiore, the beginning player would do better to build up an ending repetiore. By studying the endgame you learn how to attack and you learn the purpose of the middle game. And, since the end game occurs when you're usually in time trouble, the ability to play the endgame like a machine while your opponent must calculate every move is a great advantage.However, I do have a few small gripes about this book.
1. I have found perhaps half a dozen endgames where I've come up with alternative lines where a win is not forced. Chernev does give variations on how to win many variations, but there are times when it appears that the opponent is not playing the best possible line. 2. Endgames often center around a theme or technique. Chernev gives you several endgames which demonstrate a technique, but he never specifically says "This position contains these key points which will lead us to use this particular technique". It is left up to the reader to figure out what the actual techniques used in the examples are. More importantly, it's left up to the reader to determine what factors require which techniques. 3. Occasionaly a term is used without explaination. For example: "1. K-B6 and the white king is said to have the opposition". But what is "opposition?" It is not explained. As in point #2 this is left for the reader to figure out. (By the way, there is an excellent description of Opposition in Jeremy Silman's book "How To Reassess Your Chess") However, even with these faults, this is still one of the best endgame books available. Study the pawn endings until you can do them in your sleep, and then study the Rook endings. Then follow up with the rest of the book. This is the book you use to build up your "endgame repetiore".
Rating:
Summary: Excelent, if slightly flawed, book
Review: I should give this book 5 full stars as it really is one of the best endgame book available. At our local chess club the Masters give lectures on Thursday nights. During their endgame series of lectures I was able to find every example they used in this book. The master's lecture concept was that rather than building up an opening repetiore, the beginning player would do better to build up an ending repetiore. By studying the endgame you learn how to attack and you learn the purpose of the middle game. And, since the end game occurs when you're usually in time trouble, the ability to play the endgame like a machine while your opponent must calculate every move is a great advantage. However, I do have a few small gripes about this book.
1. I have found perhaps half a dozen endgames where I've come up with alternative lines where a win is not forced. Chernev does give variations on how to win many variations, but there are times when it appears that the opponent is not playing the best possible line. 2. Endgames often center around a theme or technique. Chernev gives you several endgames which demonstrate a technique, but he never specifically says "This position contains these key points which will lead us to use this particular technique". It is left up to the reader to figure out what the actual techniques used in the examples are. More importantly, it's left up to the reader to determine what factors require which techniques. 3. Occasionaly a term is used without explaination. For example: "1. K-B6 and the white king is said to have the opposition". But what is "opposition?" It is not explained. As in point #2 this is left for the reader to figure out. (By the way, there is an excellent description of Opposition in Jeremy Silman's book "How To Reassess Your Chess") However, even with these faults, this is still one of the best endgame books available. Study the pawn endings until you can do them in your sleep, and then study the Rook endings. Then follow up with the rest of the book. This is the book you use to build up your "endgame repetiore".
Rating: 
Summary: classic textbook on the endgame
Review: The reader gets 300 diagrams for the beginner or expert.There are practical basic endings that everyone should know and beautiful studies all designed to raise the readers understanding of chess and the endgame. One diagram per page makes it easy to read. This dover book is well bound and will last. Anyones appreciation of chess would be inhanced by owning this book.
Rating:
Summary: Great book for practicing endings
Review: This book is another great Chernev classic, at the affordable Dover price. You are basically given a winning position and then Chernev outlines how to win with the position. --It starts off with the basic endings, and then gets more complex as the book continues. I would recommend setting up the board and practicing these endings with your chess buddy. Your endings will improve tremendously.
Rating:
Summary: An excellent book!
Review: Though it does have the ditraction of being written in descriptive notation (i.e. P-K4), this is compensated by the instruction given wonderful endgames, particularly for beginners. With sections on pawns and combined piece play, this is a wonderful beginning or compendium towards the study of the endgame.
Rating:
Summary: An excellent book!
Review: Though it does have the ditraction of being written in descriptive notation (i.e. P-K4), this is compensated by the instruction given wonderful endgames, particularly for beginners. With sections on pawns and combined piece play, this is a wonderful beginning or compendium towards the study of the endgame.
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