Endgame Book recommendation

Greetings, my birthday's coming up & my wife has asked me what I'd like.  What book on the endgame would people recommend?  Seirawan's book on "Endings" looks good for a beginner.  Any help would be appreciated.

I have Silman's Complete Endgame Course which is good and also frequently recommended on here. I like Silman and enjoy his style. The book is divided into chapters based on rating. Silman recommends studying material up to your rating and the follow chapter if you are keen, then put the book away and concentrate on other areas (or repeat the chapters until its second nature).

I have both Seirawan's and Silman's book, and enjoy them both.

I do not consider the Seirawan book suitable fr beginners, but would be a potential follow up book after reading Silman.

Silman provides, for my taste, the right amount of "talk" with analysis. As MarkGrubb notes, the book division by approximate rating allows focus at the right spot(s). His book finishes with a wonderful summary of great endgame players in chess history.

Interesting to me is that Silman does not include KBN vs K, stating that this does not occur with frequency for worthwhile study, but does include opposite color bishop KB + two connected pawns vs KB, which I question its frequency. But if that is my biggest quibble, this is a tremendous book acquisition.

"How to Win in the Chess Endings" by Horowitz i think might be a good book for beginners

"Fundamental Chess Endings" Karsten Müller & Lamprecht, endorsed by Carlsen

For any non-titled player I recommend Silman's Complete Endgame Course...

otherwise, search "endgame", "ending" etc., here...

Good Chess Books for Beginners and Beyond...

https://www.chess.com/blog/RussBell/good-chess-books-for-beginners-and-beyond

Silmans Complete Endgame Course

De laVilla's 100 endgames you must know

Dvoretsky Endgame Manual and you never need more. 

Dvortskey Endgame manual is a great book for sure , but for the start you can read Silman complete endgame course book and Fundamental Chess Endings by Karsten Műller

For a beginner, Silman's book is best because he organized the book by endgames for various rating levels. 100 Endgames You Must Know is too advanced, and Dvoretsky's book is best suited for players above 2000.

Since you wife has pre-approved, in you place I'd get the 100 endgames you must know book + its workbook [so 2 books really]. I'd get it just because of the workbook as reading without doing makes it hard to retain.  Without 'pre-approval' I really prefer a thin endgame book- looking at a thick one I lose motivation but if its 100 pages I can keep plodding thru it.  I also prefer playing thru books on complex, non-theoretical endgames, like 'Endgame strategy' or in 'Capablanca's best endgames'. These have enough drama that I keep going and enjoy it. Books on theoretical endgames feel like I am practicing my multiplication tables again and again and again and still can't recall 13x15.

Have you had a look on chessable? Interactive books, a lot of them are free. I think you can have 6 free ones, and any amount of ones you pay for.

There is a great endgames book which I think is as good as Silman. End Games Basics or something. Shows how to deal with the pawns in the exchange Ruy Lopez for example

https://www.chessable.com

Also you can buy  Dvoretsky’s End Game Manual on there, and play through the endings online

I suggest Dr. Reuben Fine's "Basic Chess Endings."  It has been the endings "bible" for 80 years.

I like this book a lot too. He gives names to ideas of how that specific EG is played that makes the idea stick in my head.

Normally, I use it to look up & study his explanation of an endgame I just had over the board. I find it nearly perfect for that.

Bill

I would like to cast another vote for Ruben Fines Basic Chess Endings.

it is encyclopedic in nature but it has all of the essential information that you need to play endgames.

The best endorsement that I can give for the book is that GM Pal Benko MEMORIZED it.

Mikhail Bottvinik said it was the best book on the subject.

the most useful skill for us average players is to understand how to properly navigate the most common endgames and endgame principles.

Ruben Fines Basic Chess Endings provides both.

leave the complex, theoretical positions that are generally exceptions to the advanced players.

Grandmaster Preparation: Endgame Play

Starting out Series on Endgame by Chris ward . Much better than Silman . Silman made me tired with opposition, distant opposition, diagonal opposition etc.

But Chris ward book is direct to the point and gives more confidence in endgames