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.

Chess Teacher and Writer. In 1819 he operated 'The Turk' the chess-playing automaton in the London Exhibition. Coached the leading player in England in the1830's: Alexander McDonnell. Published two important works: Series of Progrssive Lessons (1831) and Second Series of Lessons (1832). Lewis's work commands respect but theory was advancing quickly and much of his writing, especially his opening analysis, soon became obsolete. As we shall see, he made an important contribution to endgame theory.

This position occurred in one of the match games between La Bourdonnais and Lewis's student McDonnell in 1834. Lewis was the first theoretician to find the win but his analysis was later improved on by Berger. Without the a6 pawn this position is drawn. The winning method is to break the Black blockade by taking the White King on a long journey which will end in front of his pawn. I have decided to use the top moves as found by the computer endgame tablebase as the main line. From a practical point of view these moves are not always the best but in this case they illustrate the winning idea beautifully.

The King has reached his destination. The blockade is broken. If 8...Na7 9.Rb1+ Nb5 10. Rxb5+ WINS.

Important Notice: The last position for cumulative 2002 will appear on Sunday 22nd December. I am then taking a short break and will be back on Sunday January 5th with the first position of the 2003 cumulative competition.

The winners of the 2002 cumulative competition will be announced early in the New Year.

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.