7 Comments
User's avatar
flakefly's avatar

I just devoured all four hours of the chess as a cultural phenomenon video series, and I have to say that it is very good. Perhaps not everyone's cup of tea, but if you're interested in history and science and culture, and are generally inquisitive, and of course, love chess, you'll probably find it quite absorbing. Obviously, it worked for me as four hours later I'm writing this! Thanks for the recommendation.

Expand full comment
Julian's avatar

I cannot find the link to the Keres film anymore. Did it move? Can someone point me to the file?

Expand full comment
Dennis Monokroussos's avatar

I don't see it now, either. I put "Keres" into the search box for the page, and then clicked on "film" and it produced some clips. But not, as far as I can tell, the full documentary.

Expand full comment
L. Lederer's avatar

I still have Keres' book on Endgame. I still think it is one of the very best at getting a club player up to speed on understanding the basics of endgame play.

Expand full comment
Dennis Monokroussos's avatar

There are better books nowadays, but it's still a good one, and excellent book for its time - especially given its physically manageable size.

Expand full comment
L. Lederer's avatar

Today's books have the benefit of highly accurate computer aided analysis and years of refinement. I have other endgame books including the Dvoretsky "bible." But as you noted the Keres' book is of a reasonable size and still hits most of the key ideas an amateur needs to know.

Expand full comment
Dennis Monokroussos's avatar

Hmm, not sure why I said this was posted to the wrong place - sorry about that.

On the merits: it is relevant that there are tablebases and near-perfect or even perfect computer analysis together with generations of human research. Keres did a nice job, but that won't be of much comfort to someone who follows advice that has been superseded.

Expand full comment