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 Master and Endgame Composer. Renowned for his pawn ending compositions. One of the leading lights behind the Soviet School of Chess. His all-round contribution as a player, annotator, organizer and composer was immense during his short life.

Even though there is a material inbalance here White gets the draw by maintaining a fortress position. based on some simple rules. A pawn on the second rank draws against a Queen, providing it is not a Rook's pawn and the defending Rook and King are close together with the pawn. An extra pawn on the h-file doesn't help Black. White will have two safe squares available for his Rook, e3 and h3, with the result that Black cannot put him into zugzwang. White has to be careful not to let the Black queen reach f1 and to ensure that Black CANNOT ADVANCE HIS PAWN.

Rules for defence:

1) Control the h3 square; DO NOT allow the advance of the Black pawn.

2) Keep the White pawn at f2

3) Avoid the Black Queen or the Black King going to f1, g1 or h1.

4) Maintain the Rook and King close together.

4... Qd5+ 5.Kh2Qd6+ 6.Kg2 Qh6 7.Kh2 Qc6 8.Re3 Kf4 9.Rh3 Qf6 10.Re3 Qf5 11.Kg2 Kg4 12.Rh3 Qc2 13.Re3 Qc6+ 14.Kh2 1/2-1/2. van Wely - Bischoff Garmisch, 1994.

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.