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.

 

Russian/Soviet Endgame Composer. He is regarded as the greatest exponent of the art of the modern endgame study composition. He was one of the first to adapt older themes to modern settings and many of his studies embrace modern strategical concepts.  In 1910 he wrote an important article, published in the St Petersburg paper "Niva" in which he laid down the principles for the composing of studies. Much of what he said then remains valid to the present day. He has over 1000 studies to his credit.

Black has a material advantage but White has two beautifully placed Knights. White lands the knockout punch with the surprising underpromotion of the d-pawn leading to a neat mate with three Knights !!

In 1928 Troitzky was awarded the title of Honoured Art Worker -the first time that chess composition was officially regarded as an art form in Russia. The above study would probably have been included in his next book had he not died in the Siege of Leningrad in 1942.

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.