Silman's is very good.
Best endgame book for a 1800 USCF?
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I just ordered Nunn's chess endings vol 1 from Amazon and I can't wait to check it out. It might be something to look into.
http://xrl.us/bhyexs (Link to www.amazon.com)
The nice thing about Silman's book compared to the others is that the chapters are divided into ratings (for example Class D, Class C, etc), and in each chapter he explains in clear prose and analyzes the positions he believes should be understood by the players in that rating class. Even though I'm an Expert, my endgame is pretty bad, so I still find myself going through the early chapters as a refresher.
Granted there aren't many positions in that book so supplementing it with any of the ones mentioned above could only help.
Dvoretsky's book is great but very dense and would take a while to get through the positions. If you feel up to the task then go for it.
Here are a few other endgame books I liked and I think could help you (I'll try to keep this short)
100 Endgames You Must Know by Jesus De La Villa (100 endgames he believes are essential to master)
Understanding Chess Endgames by John Nunn (same idea, 100 positions he deems important, not to be confused with the above mentioned Nunn's Chess Endings which is more about how to play endgames, not about specific positions - although I'm sure that's great too, you can't go wrong with Nunn)
Rate Your Endgame by Edmar Mednis and Crouch (guess the move/solitaire chess, you get points for guessing the right moves while playing out an endgame. Good way to practice - this book was actually recommended to me by Dvorestky)
Essential Chess Endings by James Howell (title says it all. I wish he wrote more books. this one is pretty short, which to me is a good thing)
Winning Chess Endings by Yasser Seirawan (Seirawan's writing is really enjoyable to read. Doesn't cover a lot of positions - similar to the Silman book - but as with that book the positions get very thorough treatment with plenty of explanations so you know you really learn them)
Secrets of Chess Endgame Strategy by Lars Bo Hansen (this one is about how to play the endgame, not about specific/essential positions. I like all his books)
Endgame Tactics by Van Perlo (winner of the 2006 BCF book of the year. It's basically just a collection of over 1000 positions, but every position has a really cool solution so they're fun to solve. endgame problems don't have to be boring)
OK I'll stop for now :)
Hi. I'm looking to buy an endgame book that will improve my endgame after I study it. Although I've only read one endgame book (Pachman's, which I recommend), I think my endgame skills are pretty decent (in my humble opinion :)).
My OTB USCF rating is around 1830. I've heard some recommendations about Silman's Complete Endgame Course and Dvoretsky's endgame manuals. Do you guys have any recommendations? Thank you.