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.

 

World Champion 1948-57, 1958-1960, 1961-63. Like all world champions Botvinnik was very strong in the endgame. He had an excellent technique and he was particularly good at adjournment analysis, saving many a lost ending. In his epic struggle with Fischer at the 1962 Olympiad , the only time they met over the board, Botvinnik set a subtle trap which allowed him to escape a difficult ending with a draw. Botvinnik showed later that the ending could be held even against Bobby Fischer's improvement on his own play.

This position never actually occurred in the game but gives us the situation if Black had chosen the alternative ...Ke5-d4! instead of the pawn move 51...b6-b5?! (see below). The King move seems to be the best try as it leads to complicated play but again only draws as the following analysis shows. The main feature of the ending is the respective promotion of each sides advanced passed pawn. The position becomes very scary with both Kings coming under threat from the new Queens.

A very difficult ending but worthy of study. The complete analysis includes the input of three World Champions plus other analysts and is a beautiful example of the art of the endgame.

For completeness I give the moves as played in the game with the Black King on "e5". 51...b5?! 52.h5! (Botvinnik's saving idea. A theoretically drawn position with the "a" and h-pawns is reached.) 52...Ra3+ 53.Kg2 gxh5 54.Rg5+ Kd6 55.Rxb5 h4 56.f4 Kc6 57.Rb8 h3+ 58.Kh2 a5 59.f5 Kc7 60.Rb5 Kd6 61.f6 Ke6 62.Rb6+ Kf7 63.Ra6 Kg6 64.Rc6 a4 65.Ra6 Kf7 66.Rc6 Rd3 67.Ra6 a3 68.Kg1 Draw.

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.