The Russian Endgame Handbookby Best occasionsby Best Occasions

The Russian Endgame Handbook

An old Soviet quip has it that Western amateurs “play the opening like grandmasters, the middlegame like experts, and the endgame like beginners.” Soviet-trained players would fearlessly steer the game toward the final phase, confident of their superior endgame skill. Ilya Rabinovich’s Russian Endgame Manual is a major reason for this.

Rabinovich raises the beginner’s understanding of the endgame to a sophisticated level, starting with elementary checkmates and then moving on to the principles for handling complex endgames and advanced concepts in king-and-pawn endings, such as the theory of corresponding squares. The author pays special attention to frequently neglected endgame themes such as rook vs. pawns, rook vs. a minor piece, and queen vs. rook.

First published in 1927 and updated in 1938, this classic work – featuring more than four hundred instructive endings and over three hundred exercises for self-study – served a generation of players at the height of the Soviet School’s dominance. Mongoose Press now makes it available to the English-speaking public for the first time.

About the Author

Ilya Rabinovich (1891-1942) was an early Soviet master from Leningrad (now St. Petersburg). A five-time city champion, he tied for first place in the 1934/35 USSR Championship and was the first Soviet player to compete outside the Soviet Union, placing seventh at Baden-Baden, 1925.

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9781936277391

9781936277391