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Publication: London, G. Bell and Sons, Limited, 1941 Formatting: 8vo, pp. xiv, 573. Condition Report: Good. The original dark blue cloth binding remains structurally sound and tight, though it exhibits the expected signs of handling and shelf-wear for a study copy of this age. The boards present with moderate rubbing and scuffing, alongside bumping to the corners and noticeable fraying at the spine ends and joints. The gilt lettering to the front board remains distinctly bright, whereas the spine titling has naturally dulled slightly with age. Internally, the text block is securely bound with unbroken hinges and clean endpapers. The pages display uniform, moderate age-toning, most pronounced along the text-block edges, but are notably clean and entirely free from foxing, moisture damage, or internal tears. Lacks the original dust jacket. Catalogue Note: This Second Edition was published for the British market by G. Bell and Sons, utilising sheets printed in the United States by the David McKay Company (Philadelphia). It stands as an early, wartime printing of the text, issued the same year as the true first edition. The volume is unillustrated, relying instead on the traditional 600+ positional diagrams standard to early chess manuals. There are no bookplates, stamps, or ownership inscriptions present, leaving the provenance unestablished. While the later paperback reprints of this title are ubiquitous, these early 1940s hardcover printings are becoming increasingly uncommon on the open market. Considered one of the most important instructional works in twentieth-century chess literature, Basic Chess Endings provides an exhaustive, systematic examination of endgame principles. Grandmaster Reuben Fine categorises the complexities of the endgame into digestible patterns, covering everything from fundamental pawn endings to intricate rook and minor piece battles. Despite the advent of modern computer engine analysis, Fine's brilliant conceptual explanations and logical structure continue to offer profound foundational value for serious students and chess historians alike.
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