Survival Guide to Rook Endings

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Summary: Book Title = Book Contents
Review: Basic rook endings, rook and pawn endings (pawns on one side of the board), rook and pawn endings (pawns on both sides of the board), and double rook endings: a very focused 160 pages! Material ranges from the classic Lucena/Philidor positions, to much more complex practical rook endings. I think The Survival Guide can be profitably used both by novices for a concise introduction to rook endings and stronger players (including masters) as a comprehensive review and reinforcement. I also feel that GM Emms presents the material in an interesting, informative and well-organized manner, and maintains his emphasis on practical rook endings. Agreeing that there are other rook endings books, I still believe that you are much more likely to read, enjoy and finish The Survival Guide than most other books.

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Summary: Very good.
Review: Funny thing happened while playing internet chess the other night. After an evenly balanced struggle I entered a simple rook and pawn ending. I was a pawn up, but because I had read Survival Guide to Rook Endings by John Emms I knew straight away that the position was dead drawn. But after a confused series of (totally uneccessary) checks from my opponent, which actually drove my king to a much better location, a drawn position became a won one. Now the point is this: many players are strong in the opening and middle phase of a chess game but much weaker in endgame play. So as average players seeking to improve we should study the endgame. This will add greatly to our playing strength and enable us to win many more games.

All very well to hand out this trite advice, but look at most endgame books! No wonder the amateur player neglects to study them. Well, here is an exception. I'm pleased to say that Emms has authored a very readable guide to rook endings. His explanations of procedure are engaging and very understandable. Rather than presenting diagram after diagram to rote learn Emms gives us the conceptual tools for correct play. Further, Survival Guide to Rook Endings covers much more material than that required for mere 'survival'. Coverage extends well beyond an introductory level - I doubt I will need another rook book (though to be fair I am only a club player). Perhaps very strong players would find this book too basic but I have seen a big practical benefits from studying the material. Each chapter is logical, interesting and rounded off with excercises to help the reader practice. Previous to reading this book I had tried to teach myself rook endings from Kere's endgame book and Euwe's one as well. Both left me cold although both are actually very good chess authors - such is the difficult nature of the subject. Emms seems to have the magic touch however. I only wish I had a copy of Dvoretsky's acclaimed endgame manual so I could compare his handling of rook material with Emm's. All in all a fine effort.

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Summary: Best Introduction to Rook Endings
Review: This book is the best practical introduction to rook endings currently available. It should be useful for players rated anywhere from 1300 to 2300, but is probably targeted at average club players like myself, with a rating of 1800. While there are other rook endings books on the market - Nunn, Korchnoi, Smyslov and Levenfish, ECE - they're all rather esoteric and removed, to varying extents, from the concerns of a practical player. Emms gives one exactly what one needs to know. If one wants to pursue the subject further, one can consult one of the aforementioned tomes.