Welcome to this active site. Each week I am going to present to you an 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.

International Master. Chess author and journalist. Palestine Champion in 1936 and Champion of Israel in 1955. Born in Poland but as a young man emigrated to Palestine. Played in the ill-fated 1939 Chess Olympiad and because of the outbreak of war decided to stay in South America before finally going back to Israel in 1950. He had a reputation as a tenacious fighter in the endgame.

 

At a first glance this opposite-coloured Bishop ending looks drawn but Czerniak finds a study-like way to win.

1... Kxf5 2.Bc2+ Ke6 3.g6! (3. gh? Kf7=) 3... Ke7 4.h5 +- After exchanging the b6 pawn for the Black Bishop White soon wins.

1. Cumulative 2002 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 6/1/2002 to 22/12/2002 with a recess in July. 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 2002. They will be directed at 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.