Practical Endgames — Vol. 2

What this book teaches

300 more positions, the same job as Volume 1: the title is a win / draw / with-care verdict.

Unlike Volume 1: more unbalanced positions, more “with care” — the result hangs on technique, not on memorised moves.

Study this after Volume 1. Ask: which condition flips the result?

What you will get

• The same verdict skill, closer to real games
• See when a “win” becomes “hard” because the pawn is low or an advisor is missing
• Not treating Volume 2 as a new drill book — these are variants of Volume 1

Step 1 — Compare with a type you know

① Which Volume 1 type is this close to? ② What differs — high/low pawn, extra advisor or elephant, one extra piece? ③ Does that difference turn a win into a draw?

Until you see what is off, don’t calculate a long line.

Step 2 — One wrong move loses the result

“Wins with care / draws with care” means a narrow margin.

① Which move is the key? Which move is only tempo? ② What if you play the “natural” move (capture, check)? ③ When done: name the condition that flips the result. Don’t memorise every move.

What order to study?

Still by material: pawns → horse → cannon, as in Volume 1.

Don’t skip here if you cannot yet tell win / draw / with-care in Volume 1. A few off-balance positions per type. You need not do all 300.

Three things when you solve

1. Play it yourself. Open the line only when stuck. 2. Ask: what differs from the old type, and does the result change? 3. Volume 2 is not a different book. Same skill, harder positions.