Benjamin Joel. Liquidation on the Chess Board. Mastering the Transition into the Pawn Ending

New in Chess, 2015. — 478 p. — ISBN: 978-90-5691-553-7.Pawn endings do not arise out of nowhere. Before emerging as endgames with just kings and pawns,
they ‘pre-existed' in positions that still contained any number of pieces. Isn't it strange, then,
that most chess endgame books make it look as if they came out of the blue? Liquidation is the
purposeful transition into a pawn ending. It is a vital technique that is seldom taught. Strange,
because knowing when and how to liquidate can help you win games or save draws.
In this book, former US Chess Champion Joel Benjamin teaches you all you need to know about
successfully liquidating into pawn endgames. He focuses on the practical aspects: what to aim
for and how to get there. When to start trading pieces and how to recognize favorable and
unfavorable liquidations.
Liquidation is much more than just trading pieces. Enter a fascinating world of tempo games
(triangulation, zugzwang and opposition), breakthrough, king activity, passed pawn dynamics,
sacrifices and counter-sacrifices. Exercises will test your growing skills. Joel Benjamin
does not just asks you for the winning or drawing continuation, he aims to make you think.
A ground-breaking, entertaining and instructive guide.