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.

American Grandmaster. World Championship Challenger. One of the great charismatic figures. He had many tournament successes but his dashing style did not suit the long grind involved in matches. This was evident in his flawed bid for the World Championship against Lasker in 1907 when he didn't win any games.

Marshall was completely devoted to chess and besides playing, he organised events and encouraged young players. He had a very outgoing and likeable personality and it's not surprising that his creation, the Marshall Chess Club of New York, became a great success.

It must have been very difficult playing against Marshall with his known reputation as a "swindler". White appears to be in dire straits. How can he stop the b-pawn ? Marshall finds a tactical solution which transforms the situation. The resulting ending is very interesting. The Knight takes care of the c-pawn and the King supports his passed pawns. Black's defence is not easy to find.

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.