Welcome to this active site. Each week I am going to present to you a endgame position for you to solve or to workout the best continuation. Computer analysis will also be considered. Some of these positions will come from actual historical games. Others will be composed endgame studies, but all the solutions will be relevant to the practical game. The new position will occur each SUNDAY and I will always be pleased to receive POSITIVE feedback about the positions and the analysis and I will try to acknowledge these where relevant.

Soviet International Grandmaster. World Champion 1957-8. In his endgame play, Smyslov comes close to Capablanca and Rubinstein. To Smyslov, both, music and chess follow the intangible rules of beauty and harmony. Chess to him was more than a sport or a science but supremely an expression of art.

The advantage of the two Bishops over a Knight and Bishop or two Knights is one of the fundamental teachings of Steinitz. But in the above position the Bishops are poorly placed and Black manages to squeeze out a win by exchanging the dark-squared Bishops to create a powerful outside passed pawn.

7.Ke1 a3 8.Kd2 a2 The Bishop has to give itself up for the passed pawn and the win is now fairly straightforward. 9.Bxa2 Nxa2 10.Kd3 Kxb6 11.Kd4 Kc6 12.Ke5 Nb4 13.Kf6 Kd5 14.Kg7 Ke6 15.Kxh7 Kf6 16.f3 Nd3 17.Kh6 Ne1 18.e4 Nxf3 WHITE RESIGNS.

1. Cumulative 2001 Prizes: 1st £100 or equivalent, 2nd £50, 3rd £30; 4th £20. (Total Prize Money=£200) Entries limited to 20 solvers. This event will run from 7/1/2001 to 30/12/2001. Present CUMULATIVE COMPETITION rules apply but note the prizes will go to those participants who climb the ladder the greatest number of times during the year. The relative position of the solver's name on the ladder will decide the allocation of prizes.

2. Endgame Solving Tournaments 2001. The nature of these events are changing. They will be directed at mainly new or intermediate solvers and will not be too difficult. No money prizes but a book prize for the highest placed newcomer. Events will take place at Easter, Summer and Christmas each consisting of 5 positions to solve. Present strict rules will apply; no computer analysis.