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.

Soviet/German Grandmaster. World Championship Candidate. Born in the Ukraine but became a German citizen in 1927. In the 1920s he became one of the strongest players in the world, winning both the Soviet championship and the German Open in 1924. He won the Soviet championship again in 1925 and scored his finest achievement by winning the Moscow International tournament ahead of Lasker, Capablanca and Rubinstein. His optimistic attacking style was ideal for tournament chess but was less successful in match play. He played Alekhine in two World Championship matches (1929, 1934) but lost each time. He contributed to the hypermodern movement with the invention of the Bogo-Indian defence.

White plays a beautiful combination which leads to a won ending. Although Black gets three pieces for his Queen, his weak pawns and uncoordinated forces are no match for the powerful White Queen and the advancing pawns. It is possible that Mieses allowed this combination thinking that the resulting ending was not dangerous for him, but the Russian champion had seen deeply into the position. It is one of the great classics of the 20th century.

4... Qg6 is no better, eg 5.Rxg6+ hxg6 6.Qxg6+ Kh8 7.Qf6+ Kg8 8.e6 Bc6 9.f3 Rf8 10.Qg6+ Kh8 11.e7 Rfc8 12.Qxf5 and the White pawns supported by the Queen will decide the game.

6... Rf8 is slightly better but White is still winning after 7.Qg5+ Kf7 (7... Kh8 8.e6 Bxe6 9.fxe6 Rae8 10.Qxd5 Rf6 11.Qxb5 Rexe6 12.Qb8+ Kg7 13.Qxa7+ Kg6 14.Qd7 winning) 8.Qh5+! Kg7 9.Qxg4+ Kf7 10.e6+ +--;

1. Cumulative 2003 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 5/1/2003 to 22/12/2003 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.