learning positions

During the time I have been working with IM Yelena Dembo, I have been shown and told to save 240 different chess positions and games. These are all in one database in my Chessbase 11, and I've spent quite a lot of time this afternoon trying to sort out these positions and games by category and/or theme. What I have found to be interesting so far is that 117 of the 240 positions are essential endgame ideas of one form or another. Yes, nearly half of our saved lessons are about the endgame! This is something to ponder for those players who think that studying the openings is the only way to go.

Thus, I have created a new database of important endgame information for me to review and to study whenever I want. There are, of course, a number of very good endgame learning resources out there (Mueller's DVD series for Chessbase, Nunn's "Chess Endings," etc.) but I've never gotten deeply into them. These 117 positions that I've already learned from and which are familiar to me will likely be reviewed again and again. This collection of saved learning material to which I refer is an example of the value derived from lessons from Yelena, and serves as a bonus perk for me.