Surya presents some ingenious “rules of thumb” to tackle these knotty endings, and at the same time, underscores the importance of actual calculation and understanding, so as not to fall into some crude reductionist trap. Through this course, he promises something no instructor would ordinarily promise – uncertainty! His aim is not knowing everything — which is a chimera that can only stem from naivety—but realising one can never know enough and, thus, being watchfully comfortable in the uncertainty this realisation affords. The heartful camaraderie between Surya and Sagar keeps the lecture engaging throughout. As the ever-so-keen host, Sagar does an excellent job of asking pertinent questions every step of the way, questions that a chess improver would have in mind when studying such endings. On the other hand, Surya often switches roles with him, genially urging him to take the lead and spell out the concepts.

• Video running time: 4 h 46 minutes
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