Chess Fundamentals

A lone rook, a king, and ten moves: Capablanca turns a bare chessboard into a lesson in how to make every square matter. Even the king must join the attack.

In this early-twentieth-century guide, José Raúl Capablanca begins not with an opening gambit but with the endgame: how to corner a king, bring a pawn safely forward, and make the pieces work together. His calm, exact instructions reveal how a single careless move can turn a win into a draw—and why the king is no mere spectator. From simple mates to the principles that underpin the whole game, he asks the student to master the essentials before reaching for subtler play. Which small decision is the difference between a forced win and a position that slips away?

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