STUDIES FOR PRACTICAL PLAYERS: Improving Calculation and Resourcefulness in the Endgame
Authors: Dvoretsky and Pervakov
Russell Enterprises, Inc. (2009)
211 pages
$24.95
Reviewed by John Donaldson
The past decade has witnessed an outpouring of books aimed at tournament players that want to improve their game. Opening books continue to constitute the bulk of these new issues but other subjects – endings and improving calculating ability – have also had works dedicated to them. The latest offering from Russell Enterprises, Inc. (www.chesscafe.com) seeks to combine these two areas.
Mark Dvoretsky and Oleg Pervakov’s STUDIES FOR PRACTICAL PLAYERS: Improving Calculation and Resourcefulness in the Endgame champions endgame studies as a training tool. Most Western players have until recently been in the dark about the value of game-like positions with few pieces on the board that combine beauty and piece efficiency to create art while educating. As the well-known trainer and writer Dvoretsky and the famous composer Pervakov show time and again, good studies not only hone one’s calculating ability but also teach fundamental endgame knowledge in a “hands on” way.
STUDIES FOR PRACTICAL PLAYERS: Improving Calculation and Resourcefulness in the Endgame doesn’t just offer many studies to solve – it features plenty of text with full explanations of the solutions. The final 47-page chapter presents studies not by professional composers but by practical players including most of the world champions.
