Recreational Mathematician and Specialist in Chess Endgame Studies. Has published about thirty studies. Endgame studies editor of the British Chess Magazine since 1995, creator and editor of the magazine British Endgame Study News since 1996; writer with Timothy Whitworth of "Endgame Magic" (Batsford, 1996); The Ins and Outs of Peg Solitaire (Oxford University Press, 1985); The Mathematics of Games (OUP, 1989). Details about John's delightful quarterly magazine: British Endgame Study News (BESN) can be obtained from johnbeasley@mail.com.

The way to win is to try and promote the a-pawn but it is technically difficult because of having to avoid exchanging pawns. But White can play for a "trick" that leads to an unexpected quick finale. It goes without saying that in practical play the basic endgame positions of Bishop against pawns have to be known to avoid the drawing positions.

7.axb3 mate.

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8X8 Basic Endings for Success

Black to play and DRAW. Black seeks a fortress position: 1...Ke8 2.Qh8+ Ke7 3.Qc8 Rc6 4.Qb8 Re6 5.Qg8 Rc6 The Black King guards the pawn and the Rook travels between c6 and e6. The King cannot cross the 6th rank so White can never improve his position.

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I would like to briefly summarise the type of endings found on the site. These are; (a) Basic endings. (b) Practical chess endings. (c) The Endgame study.

(a) Basic Endings. These are theoretical positions in which we know the correct result with optimum play by both sides. They may consist of three pawns or less and also include all the non-pawn and five piece endings which have now been extensively analysed by computer and of which we have tablebases. In the days when we had adjournments some of these endings could be looked up in text books to give us some idea how to play the position. As we no longer can do this, knowledge and memory of these endings has become important in practical play. Fundamental Chess Endings (2001) by Muller and Lamprecht and Basic Endings (1992) by Balashov and Prandstetter and the earlier A Pocket Guide to Chess Endgames (1970) by David Hooper are good introductions to these endings.

(b) Practical Endings. These occur in over-the-board play where usually more pawns are present. The above ending is an example of this type. Some of these endings are in the process of being transformed to basic endings but often they finish before this stage is reached. Endgame strategy is very different from the middlegame and has its own set of rules and exceptions. Fine's book Basic Chess Endings (1941,2003) recently revised by Pal Benko and Batsford Chess Endings (1993) by Speelman, Tisdall and Wade are about basic and practical endings and both can be recommended.

(c) Endgame Studies. These are positions which have been composed and will contain elements of one or both of the above types of endings. But there are important differences between these types and the study, such as artistic form and economy of construction. An endgame study has to follow strict rules of composition, especially if it is entered into a composing competition. One of these rules states there should only be one solution. If there is an unintended second solution then the study is unsound and said to be "cooked".