Magnus Carlsen (1990) became World Champion in 2013 by winning the World Championship Match against Viswanathan Anand with 6,5 - 3,5. In 2014 Carlsen defended his title by defeating the Indian again (6,5 - 4,5) And in in 2016 Carlsen retained his crown prevailing over Sergey Karjakin. Their match ended in a 6-6 tie, but Carlsen won the rapid tiebreak.
On January 2010 Carlsen became the youngest ever chess player to claim the first spot in the World Rankings. Since July 2011 he never let go.
Carlsen's fabulous endgame technique is without doubt one of the key reasons for his success. The World Champion regularly tops the best players in the world in objectively equal endgames as if it were a piece of cake. British chess grandmaster Daniel Gormally, after another endgame victory by Carlsen in Tata Steel Chess 2018: 'If there was an Endgame World Championship Carlsen would be World Champion for the next fifty years.'
To improve your endgame skills, several things can be done. For instance, there are a number of known theoretical positions you can study and play out until you have mastered the technique which is necessary to overcome your opponent. For sure, this can be a good method, but it is certainly not the only way to become an endgame specialist. GM Andrew Soltis, author of What it Takes to Become a Chess Master, has this advice: 'You don't have to know esoteric, technical positions. Just work out the tactics. In fact, one of the best ways to improve your winning technique is to work on endgame tactics.'
Looking at the games of Magnus Carlsen, Soltis seems to have a point. Tactics do play an important role in his endings! In this training book, positions are selected from Magnus' games in the period 2001 - January 2018. Positions are without queens or with the queens and, at most, one piece for each side.
Try this training book and see if you are able to play the same winning moves as the World Champion did. You will face 110 Endgame Tactics, in which Carlsen turned the game into his favour. The puzzles start at a moderate level and gradually get more difficult. We have selected 100 new puzzles. Ten bonus exercises appeared earlier in New in Chess' Magnus Carlsen Tactics Training.
By solving the exercises, you will not only improve your tactical abilities but also your endgame skills!
