Endgame Books

Hi everyone! I've been looking for a good book on endgames and was wondering if anyone had any recommendations. Does anyone know if Endgame Tactics by Van Perlo is good? Or Jeremy Silman’s Complete Endgame Course?

I haven't read either of those, but I've heard good things about the Silman from a friend I trust.

Endgame books are really boring. So finding one that can keep my attention is hard. I like the little ones by Edmar Mednis, like Practical Rook Endings and Practical Bishop Endings.

I'd put a word in for Shereshevsky's Endgame Strategy. It focuses on major themes of the endgame rather than piece vs. piece situations, with lots of commentary instead of lots of move orders. Helps to relieve the "boring" factor touched on above.

How to Play Chess Endings by Eugene Znosko-Borovsky is my favourite of all time.
Basic Chess Endings by Reuben Fine is my definitive reference work for endgames.

The Shereshevsky book which was previously mentioned is also good.

Pandolfini's Endgame Course is divided into handy one or two page bites that you can look at on a train or wherever so I found it a helpful complement to more reference type books.

I have a few old chess books available on http://bookmooch.com/m/inventory/lunar if anyone is interested.

You should first try out Averbach's "Chess Endings: Essential Knowledge" which is a very slim volume of the essential endgames that every player should know by heart. If you go with one of the bigger volumes chances are you will get bogged down and bored before you have a had a chance to get the necessary breath of topic. You can try seeing if Strand has a copy, it seems to go out of print the day after it gets release, since it is that popular, plus it does not cost much. Actually I just checked Amazon, they seem to have a few in stock.

Silman's Complete Endgame course is ideal. It is sectioned up by playing ability. I only wish it had been around years ago. The other one I'd recommend is Practical Endgame Lessons by Edmar Mednis.
The key to both is that they make you want to read them. As one comment above hints at, that's some achievement !

I was at a chess merchant at a tournament this weekend, and a 1300 player asked me what he should be studying. I quizzed him a few things about Engames, and Silman's Endgame Course is what I specifically recommended to him.

I would suggest Silman's Endgame Course to anybody under 1900, and Fundamental Chess Endings to anybody over 1900.

As a 5-year update, I did end up getting Silman's Complete Endgame Course and it improved my game noticeably. It is pretty big, but I actually went through most, if not all, of it (I don't remember exactly, it's been so long), and I'm not usually a very determined chess-book-studier, so that's definitely saying something about its readability.

I'm currently working my way through Silman's Complete Endgame Course. I'm a 1600 USCF player, returning to the game after a twelve-year break. I have HUGE gaps in my chess knowledge, ie Philidor and Lucena positions. After such a long break, I thought it would be a good idea to rebuild my foundation with this book. So far, I'm very happy.