Exercise Book of the 100 Endgames You Must Know

Description

♟️ What is this workbook for?

Knowing endgame theory and being able to apply it in a game are two different things. 100 Endgames You Must Know by Jesús de la Villa teaches the concepts. This exercise book is the tool for turning them into automatic responses: hundreds of positions to solve, organised by chapter in exact correspondence with the theory book, with annotated solutions that don’t just give the right move but explain why the alternatives don’t work.

The difference between a player who studies endgames and one who masters them lies in active practice. Many club players know the Philidor Position or the Lucena by name, but when they reach that position in a game they can’t remember whether the king needs to go to a specific square or whether the lateral cut goes on the fourth or fifth rank. This book exists to close that gap.

🎯 Who is this book for?

• Club players who want to consolidate their endgame technique through active practice
• Master candidates and masters who need to refresh or refine their technique
• Coaches looking for well-organised exercise material by endgame type to work with students

📖 Contents

The book is structured into 13 chapters covering all relevant practical endgame types, plus a glossary:

1. Basic endings
2. Knight vs pawn
3. Queen vs pawn
4. Rook vs pawn
5. Rook vs two pawns
6. Bishop and pawn vs same-coloured bishop
7. Bishop vs knight with a pawn
8. Opposite-coloured bishops
9. Rook endings
10. Rook endings (two pawns vs none)
11. Pawn endings
12. Miscellaneous material
13. Fortresses

Each chapter corresponds directly to a thematic block in 100 Endgames You Must Know. The two books together form the most complete endgame learning system available in Spanish.

📚 The approach: active practice, not passive reading

Most endgame books are read. This one is solved. Each position requires the reader to find the right move or plan before consulting the solution. The format forces activating the theoretical knowledge rather than recognising it passively. Solutions point out the most common mistakes in each endgame type and highlight the technical principle to retain.

👤 About the author

Jesús de la Villa (Burgos, 1958) is an International Grandmaster and two-time Spanish champion. He was Technical Director of the Spanish Chess Federation for six years and the author of 100 Endgames You Must Know, of which this workbook is the direct companion.

♟️ Why we recommend it at Chesscul

At Chesscul we work endgames systematically in our intermediate and advanced classes. This book is the complement we recommend for consolidating between sessions what is explained in class: well-graded exercises, pedagogically annotated solutions and thematic organisation by material type.

🔗 Recommended companions

• 100 Endgames You Must Know: the theory bestseller that this workbook directly complements. Study the concepts there and practise here.
• Rook Endgames: Everything You Need to Know: deep specific study of rook endings by GM Andrea Stella, for chapters 9 and 10 of this workbook.
• The Correct Exchange in the Endgame: Rozentalis analyses when to simplify to the endgame — the strategic step before applying the technique this book trains.