Among all types of chess endgames, rooks are the most common, in almost 50% of cases, and this is where even experienced chess players most often make mistakes. The ability to competently play these insidious (“villainous”!) endings brings a lot of extra points and halves. Grandmaster Konstantin Chernyshov, head of the Interregional Grandmaster School in Kostroma, and his daughter International Master Natalya Kareva are experienced coaches, whose students include grandmasters and masters, champions Russia and Europe among juniors. “Vicious Endings” is a textbook for practitioners, where even complex material is explained in living language, with subtle and gentle humor. The authors give preference to detailed verbal explanations, avoiding lengthy versions that are difficult to understand. In each of the 8 chapters, in addition to the educational material, 24 examples are given for independent solutions, and the book ends with “The Final Tournament”: 120 tasks to consolidate what has been learned. The book is addressed, first of all, to young chess players and their coaches, but will be useful to all chess fans, regardless of age and qualifications.