Understanding Rook vs. Minor Piece Endgames

A Journey into the Land of Rook vs. Minor Piece Endgames


Knowing the abilities and limitations of the minor pieces and their cooperation with a rook is very valuable for mastering the secrets of the royal game and this can be studied best in the endgame. The book before you now will take you into a mysterious and charming world. The actors in these fairy-tale stories are the rook, the bishop, and the knight.


This book is the third volume in the authors’ acclaimed Understanding Endgames series. It follows a dual philosophy, like their previous works, Understanding Rook Endgames and Understanding Minor Piece Endgames. It deals with seven-piece minor-piece endings in some detail. These endgames are often so deep that pre-tablebase analysis almost always contained errors.


Many new discoveries are revealed here. In addition, the authors emphasize the important five- and six-piece endings every club player should know. But to really understand minor piece endings, these theoretical positions are of course not enough. Sub-chapters on the principles of each material configuration have therefore been added.


“If you enjoy beauty in chess, if you want to improve your handling of the endgame, and if you want to become closer friends with the rook, bishop, and knight on the chessboard, then this journey into the land of rook and minor piece endgames will reward you.” – from the Foreword by Alex Fishbein.