<For several years, British Grandmaster John Nunn had produced a number of excellent opening books, including books on the Najdorf Variation in the Sicilian Defence and the Pirc. Then in 1992 he turned his attention to the endgame, specifically five-piece endings. With the help of a database constructed by Ken Thompson, Nunn was able to cover all endgames with five pieces with unprecedented accuracy. His work resulted in three books, Secrets of Rook Endings, Secrets of Minor Piece Endings, and Secrets of Pawnless Endings; all three books were published by Batsford Books.

Back then, the publication was surrounded with much controversy. Most notably Danish Grandmaster Curt Hansen openly expressed his feelings in a letter in New In Chess. He found this form of chess with its ultimate answers repulsive, as it meant, at least for him, that chess would lose some of its magic. Others, along with Nunn of course, were of the opposite opinion, that a book like this could only raise the level of chess and help us gain a better understanding of these positions with limited material. >

VERY interesting. Perhaps Hansen stopped playing in 2007 because he felt there was too little magic left in chess.