Vasily Smyslov: Endgame Virtuoso
by Vasily Smyslov
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Book Summary Information
Author: Vasily SmyslovEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 2001-11-28
ISBN: 1857441982
Number of pages: 176
Publisher: Everyman Chess
Book Reviews of Vasily Smyslov: Endgame Virtuoso
Book Review: Simplicity brings clarity
Summary: 5 Stars
1900 USCF player.
This book was published in the 21st century when Fritz and Rybka, et al have become the ultimate chess authorities.
I've never had a use for all of the analysis in books like ON MY GREAT PREDECESSORS because all of that analysis doesn't help me to understand chess any better. I also read reviews of many works where reviewers criticize books for having flaws discovered by computer analysis. Unless the book is a monograph on cutting-edge opening theory, this is besides the point for me: I want to understand the play and how to think. I don't think less of Irving Chernev's books because some engine doesn't agree with all of his analysis. John Nunn's endgame works are computer-checked, but I can't really learn much from them.
Having said all of this, let me get to ENDGAME VIRTUOSO.
I now understand how Smyslov reached the Candidates Final at 63 years old: the 7th World Champion relied on his feel and understanding of positions to navigate his way through games and tournaments, and one gets the impression that he did not so much think in variations, as much as he used variations to prove his understanding of the events unfolding before him. The book has sections on Pawn Endings, Minor Piece Endgings, Rook Endings, Queen Endings, etc. and a section which contains dozens of complete annotated Smyslov games.
Each game or game fragment will have some explanatory notes which identify the most important features of the position in question. Smyslov tells us why some positional factors have more significance in the given situation than others, and he will give a (brief) variation or two to illustrate this if necessary. There is no extensive branching of subvariations or the like. Smyslov goes through the fragment/game, anticipating his reader's questions which he answers very simply and elegantly.
Smyslov is not attempting to find the absolute truth about the position, rather he is teaching his readers how to PLAY. How one increases pressure, deals with passed pawns (your own or the opponent's), activates the pieces, places the king, etc. This book will help you to think schematically about endgames first of all and it will help develop your intuition.
I remember coming across this book years ago, when I was a few hundred points lower rated, and thinking it was "light." Now that I am approaching Expert level, I appreciate it a lot more. Simplicity brings clarity. It's no wonder Kramnik is such an admirer of Smyslov.
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