By concentrating on the basic principles the average player is not only given a working knowledge of the endgame but also a firm foundation on which to further develop his or her interest and technique in this fascinating stage of a chess game. The author, a Russian Grandmaster and endgame expert, takes the reader from the most elementary checkmates, through the exploitation of positional and material advantage, right up to the analysis of actual endings from master play.

Chess: An Historical Perspective Chess - the "Royal Game" - is an ancient board game, perhaps fifteen hundred years old. There are many legends about how chess came to be. Most of them are folk tales and are far from reality. Arguably more books have been written about chess than all the other games combined, but relatively little has been written about the history of chess. The topic is difficult; it requires thorough knowledge, and there are still many unknown historical pitfalls. It is therefore no surprise that there exist a variety of hypotheses concerning the origin of chess. In this book, the author, legendary Russian grandmaster Yuri Averbakh, presents a well-researched and documented theory about the origins, development and spread of this immensely popular game. In addition, over three dozen splendid color plates - presented on coated stock making the images suitable for framing - supplement his historical analysis.