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What's best in a chess game - the endgame or nothing??

What's best in a chess game - the endgame or nothing??

What's best in a chess game - the endgame or nothing??

'In order to improve your game, you must study the endgame before everything else. For whereas the endings can be studied and mastered by themselves, the middle game and opening must be studied in relation to the endgame. - Capablanca

'In order to improve your game, you must study the endgame before everything else. For whereas the endings can be studied and mastered by themselves, the middle game and opening must be studied in relation to the endgame. - Capablanca

"... The game might be divided into three parts, i.e.:- 1. The opening. 2. The middle-game. 3. The end-game. There is one thing you must strive for, to be equally efficient in the three parts. Whether you are a strong or a weak player, you should try to be of equal strength in the three parts. ..." - from Capablanca's book, My Chess Career
https://www.chess.com/forum/view/for-beginners/tips-for-beginners-3

"... The game might be divided into three parts, i.e.:- 1. The opening. 2. The middle-game. 3. The end-game. There is one thing you must strive for, to be equally efficient in the three parts. Whether you are a strong or a weak player, you should try to be of equal strength in the three parts. ..." - from Capablanca's book, My Chess Career https://www.chess.com/forum/view/for-beginners/tips-for-beginners-3

@tpr said ^

'In order to improve your game, you must study the endgame before everything else. For whereas the endings can be studied and mastered by themselves, the middle game and opening must be studied in relation to the endgame. - Capablanca

Yes. Learn chess backwards.

Endgames <== Max effort
Middlegames <== Strategy
Openings <== don't make chessable rich or opening peddlers wealthy

@tpr said [^](/forum/redirect/post/nPTnabr1) > 'In order to improve your game, you must study the endgame before everything else. For whereas the endings can be studied and mastered by themselves, the middle game and opening must be studied in relation to the endgame. - Capablanca Yes. Learn chess backwards. Endgames <== Max effort Middlegames <== Strategy Openings <== don't make chessable rich or opening peddlers wealthy

I have my reasons though to doubt that whole "working your way backwards" approach.

I have always considered myself pretty good at endgames...but I have (admittedly) never been terribly adept at all those basic ones that you see in the books. Yet (somehow or other) I am generally able to navigate my way through the ending phase without having an overly thorough grasp of what it all might be leading toward (once things get down to something like R + P vs R). Presumably there are other "skills" involved here than simply extrapolating your way from basic situations.

Then too the "working your way backwards" concept tends to founder when you consider things like middlegame mating attacks. In such situations, endgame prowess would seem to have very little relevance.

I have my reasons though to doubt that whole "working your way backwards" approach. I have always considered myself pretty good at endgames...but I have (admittedly) never been terribly adept at all those basic ones that you see in the books. Yet (somehow or other) I am generally able to navigate my way through the ending phase without having an overly thorough grasp of what it all might be leading toward (once things get down to something like R + P vs R). Presumably there are other "skills" involved here than simply extrapolating your way from basic situations. Then too the "working your way backwards" concept tends to founder when you consider things like middlegame mating attacks. In such situations, endgame prowess would seem to have very little relevance.

"working your way backwards"

  • The endgame can be taught exactly, as mathematics, we know everything about all positions with up to 7 men and even part with 8 men. There are some rules and principles and guidelines for the middle game and the opening, but these all have many exceptions and thus cannot really be studied: you have to play and learn from losses.

"middlegame mating attacks"

  • When two unequal players play, an endgame is rare.
    'Before the endgame, the Gods have placed the middle game.' - Tarrasch
    However, when two evenly matched players play, attack and defense hold balance, and an endgame especially a rook ending becomes more likely. Capablanca, Fischer, Carlsen scored many points from drawing endgames.
    '
"working your way backwards" * The endgame can be taught exactly, as mathematics, we know everything about all positions with up to 7 men and even part with 8 men. There are some rules and principles and guidelines for the middle game and the opening, but these all have many exceptions and thus cannot really be studied: you have to play and learn from losses. "middlegame mating attacks" * When two unequal players play, an endgame is rare. 'Before the endgame, the Gods have placed the middle game.' - Tarrasch However, when two evenly matched players play, attack and defense hold balance, and an endgame especially a rook ending becomes more likely. Capablanca, Fischer, Carlsen scored many points from drawing endgames. '

"... Review each of your games, identifying opening (and other) mistakes with the goal of not repeatedly making the same mistake. ... It is especially critical not to continually fall into opening traps – or even lines that result in difficult positions ... Read many annotated game collections ... By looking at entire games, the aspiring player learns about openings, middlegames, and endgames all at one fell swoop. Playing through annotated games spurs improvement as the reader learns how good players consistently handle common positions and problems. ..." - NM Dan Heisman (2007)
https://web.archive.org/web/20140627062646/https://www.chesscafe.com/text/heisman81.pdf

"... Review each of your games, identifying opening (and other) mistakes with the goal of not repeatedly making the same mistake. ... It is especially critical not to continually fall into opening traps – or even lines that result in difficult positions ... Read many annotated game collections ... By looking at entire games, the aspiring player learns about openings, middlegames, and endgames all at one fell swoop. Playing through annotated games spurs improvement as the reader learns how good players consistently handle common positions and problems. ..." - NM Dan Heisman (2007) https://web.archive.org/web/20140627062646/https://www.chesscafe.com/text/heisman81.pdf