Sometimes, when I go to the pub, I get more than just good beer. Several months ago, in the company of John Beasley and another study enthusiast, John showed us an original endgame study that he had received for publication. The study has now been published in another place and so I am now free to present it here. Mr Beasley likes others to solve if they wish to, and we did indeed have a go at this elegant rook ending by Gordon Davies. As the solution that follows indicates, we didn’t really get very far before the central point of the study had to be demonstrated to us, though the beer was very fine!
Gordon Davies
British Chess Magazine, 2011
White to play and win
1.a7 Kh5 Black hides his king to avoid the threat of a check followed by a promotion, but a bolt-hole can become a tomb. 2.Rg8! White traps the Black king. 2.g4+? Kh4 0-1; 2.Kh3? Rh1+ 3.Kg2 Ra1 repeating; 2.Re8? Rxa7 3.Rxe5+ Kg4 0-1 2...Rxa7 Of course, the threatening pawn must be removed. If pushed now, Black’s pawn can be stopped – 2...b3 3.a8Q Rxa8 4.Rxa8 b2 5.Rb8 1-0 3.Kh3 Threatens mate. 3...Ra3 It was from this point that we could not see a way forward, so the next move came as a nice surprise. 4.d4! 4.d3? Rxd3 and White has nothing left to fight with. 4...Re3 The pawn cannot be taken – 4...exd4 5.e5 Re3 6.e6 1-0 and of course 4...cxd3?? 5.g4# 5.dxe5 White's pawn now comes in second, but it is mate when it does. Which is why 5.d5? doesn’t work - 5...c3 6.Rc8 b3 0-1 5...c3 5...b3 leads to the same mate. 6.e6 c2 7.e7 c1Q 8.e8Q#
And now I have the pleasant job of presenting a brand new study by a brand new composer. It is by Frank Muessig, one of our German readers, and it is for you to solve.
Frank Muessig
Chess, 2011
White to play and draw
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