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How To Compose An Endgame Study - Part 2

This document discusses the composition of endgame studies in chess, focusing on the concept of paradox as a key element of beauty in chess studies. It explores various techniques such as queen sacrifices, under-promotions, and capture avoidance, highlighting how breaking conventional rules can enhance the creativity and complexity of chess compositions. The document includes examples and exercises to illustrate these concepts and encourage deeper understanding and practice in study composition.

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40 views17 pages

How To Compose An Endgame Study - Part 2

This document discusses the composition of endgame studies in chess, focusing on the concept of paradox as a key element of beauty in chess studies. It explores various techniques such as queen sacrifices, under-promotions, and capture avoidance, highlighting how breaking conventional rules can enhance the creativity and complexity of chess compositions. The document includes examples and exercises to illustrate these concepts and encourage deeper understanding and practice in study composition.

Uploaded by

Adri Adri Adri
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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How to compose an

endgame study – part 2

Paradox – breaking the


rules

In part 1 we briefly introduced the four main


categories of beauty: paradox, depth,
pattern, and flow. Every game or study
exhibits at least some of these.

Paradox is the most important ingredient of


a study. It is responsible for much of the
pleasure derived from chess.

Most chess games are decided by the


material situation. More material means a
higher chance of winning the game.

Rule: more material is better

1 A. Kazantsev B. Sakharov
1974

1.Qc3+!! Qxc3 2.Bg5 mate.


White jettisons his queen to deflect the
black queen from defending g5.
2 V. Kalyagin 1989

In the ideal mate above, all the units


participate in the mate and every square in
the black king’s filed is either blocked once
or attacked once.

Can you add a queen sacrifice to the


above diagram?

3
1.Qd5+!! Rxd5 2.Nc6 mate.

The knight can also stand on b4.

Where else can the white queen be


placed to achieve the same mate?
Any square that controls d5 that does not
allow an alternative win. Qc6, Qf7, Qf5, Qg5,
Qh5 keep the study sound. Qe6 (1.Nf5
mate), Qa8 (1.Qa1+) and Qb7 (1.Qb2+) all
introduce a dual that ruins the study.

If we moved the knight to b4, on how


many more squares could the white
queen stand?
We would gain Qb7 as the path to b2 is
blocked and Qe6 since Nf5 mate is no
longer possible.

The above underscore how much flexibility


the composer has. The more placements
one modifies, the more possibilities there
are.

In the examples above, the black force was


so large that it was easy for the composer to
add a queen without too great a risk of
duals.

Another way of reducing potential duals is


by using a strong threat.

4. P. Krug 2017
Can you sacrifice a queen to reach
this mate?

1.Qh6+!! with:
1…gxh6 2.Rf7 mate or
1…Kxh6 2.Rh8 mate.

Rf5 is necessary to stop 2…Kg5 in the


second variation.

Note how black’s mating threats neutralize


White’s extra rook and eliminate any
possible duals.

The above queen sacrifice, with additional


irrelevant material, concluded the Carlsen-
Karjakin 2016 world championship match.

6 B. Sidorov 7 L. Mitrofanov
1981 1968
In each diagram:

Black just captured a white queen


that was sacrificed. For each
diagram (total 4 points):
What piece captured the white
queen and where did it come from.
Where did the white queen come
from.
8 9

Qc2 is the only Qf3 and Qe2 are


correct square. Qf2 also correct but
allows 1.Qh2, Qg3, Qg4-d1 is a longer
and 1.Qf4. and prettier move.

In diagram 8, White’s material advantage is


enormous, so the queen sacrifice carries no
risk, reducing the paradox. In diagram 9 the
queen sacrifice amounts to most of the
white force and therefore has a stronger
impact.
Under-promotions

When a pawn is on the 7th rank, we


automatically reach to promote a queen.

Rule: queen your pawn.

Rook, bishop, or knight promotions break


this general rule and can be quite shocking.

10 V. Korolkov 1930

What was White’s last move?

11

1.f8R!! 1.f8Q? Bf3+ 2.Q/Bxf3 stalemate.


12

What was White’s last move?

13

1.a8B!! 1.a8Q? Be4 2.Qxe4 stalemate.

14
What was White’s last move?

15

1.b8N!! Black threatened 1…Bc6 mate.

The rook and bishop promotions avoid


stalemating black, while the knight
promotion stops mate using the knight’s
unique move.

Capturing material, like eating, is a


satisfying experience.

Rule: capture unprotected pieces

Breaking this rule is called capture-


avoidance.

16 A. Maksimovskikh 1983
1.Kd2! the bishop is appetizing but
stopping the pawn is more important.

17 E. Pogosyants 1977

White’s last move broke a rule. What


was it?

18
1.b6!! 1.bxc6? Kc7! wins Rc7+ 2.Ka8 Rb7
stalemate.

Time is everything in chess. If white could


start the game with two consecutive moves
it is likely that chess would move from a
theoretically drawn game to a winning
game. If you gave either side an extra
tempo in studies, it would ruin 99% of them.

Rule: don’t waste time

19 G. Ostmoe 2018

1.Ke7!! sacrifices a tempo. 1.Ke6? Ke4


draws, since White is in zugzwang. 1…Ke4
2.Ke6 wins, since Black is in zugzwang.

Checks to our king may lead to mate,


material capture, and at the very least to
winning a tempo. In short, allowing check
may be fatal.
Rule: Don’t expose your king to check

20 G. Rinder 1981

1.Kb6!! 1.Ka6? Kc7! g1Q+ 2.Ka6 draws.

Piece power increases in the center and


when not hindered by pawns.

Rule: Place your pieces on squares that


maximize their power

21 E. Zepler 1928

1.Rh1!! a3 2.f7 Rf5+ 3.Kg1 a2 4.f8Q+


Rxf8 stalemate.
By now we have broken the rules
with sacrifices, underpromotions,
capture avoidance, losing time,
exposing our king to check, and
placing our pieces on terrible
squares. To sharpen your contrarian
instincts here are a few exercises.

22 A. Seletsky 1933

Find the Black and White moves that


preceded Nb6 mate?

23

1.Qb8+!! Qxb8 2.Nb6 mate.

The black queen must be on d8 to stop both


mates.
24 L. Kubbel 1925

What moves preceded mate?

25

1.Qa3+!! Kxa3 2.Na3 mate.

Qb2 can also stand on a1, a2, and c1.

Ne3 can also stand on a1 and e1. It can


stand on d4 only if the white queen is a1 or
c1, otherwise Nxc6+ would be a dual.

The configuration Qb2 Ne3 was chosen by


the composer because it allowed him to add
additional previous moves.

26 Y. Bazlov 2007
What white and black moves
preceded mate? Hint: Q vs NNP is a draw.

27

1.Qg8+!! Nxg8 2.h8N! mate.

28
What was White surprising last
move?

29

1.c8R!! 1.c8Q? stalemate.

30 D. Gurgenidze 2000

White’s last move was Rd1. What


were the previous two moves?

31
1.Ke1!! 1.Ke2 c1Q 2.Rd1 Qc4+! draws or
1.Kxc2 stalemate c1Q+ 2.Rd1 wins.

32 V. Archakov M. Zinar 1985

White just played 4.b3. What were


his previous 3 moves?

33
1.g8B!!+ 1.g8Q+? Kd3 wins 1…Kd3
2.Bb3! f2 3.Ba4 f1Q 4.b3 draw.

Points summary:

15-18 Excellent – you can create paradox.

10-14 Good – practice will make perfect.

0-9 Keep enjoying studies. It takes time to


adjust to the composer’s way of thinking.

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