Capablanca and Smyslov were two champions renowned for their endgame skills. Silman also lists Lasker, Rubinstein, and Fischer rounding out the Top 5.
Endgame player
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Dec 23, 2010
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#3
Thanks Spiffe.
I had Capablanca in my mind, but i dident know that Fischer was an good endgame player - but now there is some games to look at! 
Dec 23, 2010
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#4
Wow - thats a lot... Think ill start with Lasker and work my way through these great endgameplayers.
Pillsbury is missing from that list too :)
I would say Korchnoi or Karpov. Lasker is also a choice!
Fezzik wrote:
So is Marshall, but for good reason, roop. Pillsbury? Ok, Pillsbury did have a classic N vs B endgame win against Lasker. But really? One of the best endgame players ever? He died long before his prime, but that doesn't make him one of the best endgame players. He was known more for his brilliance and blindfold chess than his endgame mastery.
If I were to complain of missing names, I'd go with players such as Lucena, Philidor, Steinitz, Chigorin, Troitsky, Grigoriev, Tartakower, Tarrasch (who destroyed Marshall in the endgame), Schlecter, Reti, Euwe, Fine, Kasparian, Bronstein, Petrosian, Hort, Ribli, Taimanov, Beliavsky....
But Pillsbury?
I guess I was just always overly impressed by this ending:
http://www.chess.com/forum/view/endgames/pillsbury-and-the-pawns
Petrosian
petrosian
Jan 2, 2011
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#10
NN28 wrote:
Again this myth about capa being an exceptional endgame player ..maybe you should look up some of his games and what Fischer and Alekhine had to say about it? have you even studied enough if any of his games?
Dozens, if not hundreds. Thanks for asking.
In all seriousness, as the variety of responses shows, there are many excellent endgame players in the history of the game to learn from. If I had to pick one name, though, I'd go with Smyslov. Even among the very prestigious brotherhood of champions, he enjoyed particular renown for his endgame skills. He also has a nice little book ("Vasily Smyslov, Endgame Virtuoso") that makes for a good introduction.
Jan 2, 2011
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#11
Books about great endgame players:
Tibor Karolyi. Endgame Virtuoso Anatoly Karpov: The Exceptional Endgame Skills of the 12th World Champion.
Irving Chernev. Capablanca's Best Chess Endings: 60 Complete Games.
Vasily Smyslov. Vasily Smyslov: Endgame Virtuoso.
Alexander Matanovic, ed. The Best Endings of Capablanca and Fischer.
In his manual, Dvoretsky often cites the games of Botvinnik and Smyslov. Silman's five greats were Lasker, Rubinstein, Capablanca, Smyslov and Fischer. Muller and Lamprecht like Anand and Kramnik. Averbakh tends to use examples from Botvinnik and Hermanis Mattison a fair bit. John Nunn likes Shirov and Kasparov.
GM Pal Benko, a recognized authority on the endgame, compiled a list
of "The Nine Greatest Endgame Players" for Andy Soltis' "Book of Chess
Lists" (1984, 2002). Though the names are given numbered rankings,
they are not in any particular order, says Soltis:
1. Rubinstein
2-3. Smyslov
2-3. Botvinnik
4. Maroczy
5. Reshevsky
6. Lasker
7. Reti
8-9. Fine
8-9. Averbakh
In an interview Reshevsky praised very highly Capa's endgame, though he doesn't make Benko's list.
Jan 3, 2011
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#13
Capablanca, rubinstein, Lasker, Dvoretsky,Taimanov,Seirawan,and Ulf Anderrsen especially.
madhatter5 wrote:
Capablanca, rubinstein, Lasker, Dvoretsky,Taimanov,Seirawan,and Ulf Anderrsen especially.
yes! ulf!
Hi all.
If I want to see / study some good chessplayers who are good at endgame, who would then recommend?