Comprehensive guidance provided through simple charts and clarifications illustrate how to manipulate winning situations into checkmates during the endgame, and even demonstrate how to transform stalemate or defeated positions into triumphant wins.
This crucial handbook for defeating an adversary demonstrates the principles and combinations of checkmate necessary for winning games. It covers everything from the four fundamental king checkmates to the basic games involving the queen and rook, teaching you how to convert minor advantages into decisive endgame triumphs. You’ll be educated about the fundamental strategies of preparing for a victorious endgame before it even begins: how to use the king as an offensive tool, how to generate passed pawns, how to clear a path for advancing pawns, how to defend against an opponent’s pawn majority, how to corner and restrict the mobility of the adversary’s king, and the piece combinations that are incapable of forcing a checkmate against a solitary king.
Little did Bill Robertie know, when he began playing chess as a young boy, that his unwavering dedication towards this game would ultimately result in remarkable global accomplishments in three games – chess, backgammon, and poker.
In his youth, Robertie was a chess player for Arlington High School, where he became acquainted with Dan Harrington, a fellow Metropolitan league player from Christopher Columbus High School. As a student at Harvard College, Robertie led his chess team as captain for three years. He emerged victorious in the U.S. Speed Chess Championship and secured a tie for first place in the Golden Knights, the U.S. postal chess championship. In addition, he demonstrated his prowess by giving simultaneous blindfold exhibitions on eight boards. Bill Robertie, a lifelong enthusiast of the game, has penned numerous works on chess, including Master Checkmate Strategy and Easy Endgame Strategies. As a collector of chess literature, he owns a complete collection of “Chess Life” dating back to 1932, with the exception of the 1991 and 1992 editions, which he is actively pursuing.
In the year 1976, Robertie transitioned to backgammon, benefiting greatly from his extensive experience and knowledge in chess. He rapidly ascended to the ranks of elite backgammon players, clinching victories in several competitions such as the Monte Carlo World Backgammon Championship on two occasions, the Boston Black & White competition, the Bahamas Pro-Am, and the Istanbul World Cup. Robertie has penned 10 best-selling, classic backgammon books including Modern Backgammon, Advanced Backgammon V1, Advanced Backgammon V2, and 501 Essential Backgammon Problems.
