Marin Mihail. Learn the Endgame with Ulf Andersson: Rook Endgames

Modern Chess, Endgame Databases, 2018.If we think of endgame specialists from the late phase of the classical age, one of the first names coming to mind is Ulf Andersson. Apart from his exquisite endgame technique and ability to squeeze a win apparently out of nothing, what impresses me is Ulf's general approach. He rarely strives for an advantage out of the opening or early middlegame, preferring to play long games in which the balance is disturbed at a late stage, typically in the phase of simplification to the endgame, or even deep in the endgame already. But once he has obtained an advantage (be it winning, minimal, or symbolic) Andersson's play becomes a mixture of patient maneuvering, aimed at tiring the opponent, and flexibility accompanied by concreteness. He can change the setup or main plan according to the most subtle details, many of them revealed only after thorough analysis.