Tuesday, August 14, 2007

ChessLecture.com on Rook Endgames

Some people wonder what content ChessLecture.com contains. I'll try to answer that, from an endgame perspective, of course!

Rook Endgames 101: A Review - IM Jean-Paul Wallace - Covers the Lucena position and how to "build a bridge" to win K+R+P vs K+R endings. Also covers Philidor and how to use the "sixth-rank defense" to draw K+R+P vs K+R endings. Some practical insights are shared.

Rook Endgames 102: Building a Repertoire of Snapshot Positions - IM Jean-Paul Wallace - Covers various K+R vs K+P positions, shouldering, and how the attacker can use well-timed checks to gain tempi and win.

Rook Endgames 103: Checking Distance and Frontal Attack - IM Jean-Paul Wallace - How to draw K+R+P vs K+R with side checks or a frontal attack when a sixth-rank defense is impossible, as in Carlsen-Gelfland.

Rook Endgames: A Real Life Example - IM Jean-Paul Wallace - A practical example from Ivanchuk-Nisipeanu, 2006. Discusses not rushing and the principle of two weaknesses.

That's decent coverage for 80 minutes of video, and you get the big picture much faster than you would from reading a book. But do remember to practice the positions you watch, to make sure you truly grasp all the variations.

If you're on a budget, subscribe for one month, and then watch everything.   :)

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