Soviet Grandmaster, World Championship Candidate. Writer. He was at his best in the late 1940s and early 1950s. He made a major contribution to chess literature with books on Alexander Alekhine (1958), The Soviet School of Chess (1958), co-authored with Yudovich and his classic Think Like a Grandmaster (1971) and many others.

It is the more active position of the White Rook which is the determining factor. It has a beautiful position, cutting off the enemy King and making it possible for its own King to advance into the enemy position. We follow the moves as played in the actual game.

The g-pawn is lost: 13... Rc4+ 14.Ke5 Ke8 15.Rf6 Rc5+ 16.Kd4 Ra5 17.Rxg6 Kf7 18.Rf6+ Kg7 19.Rc6 Rb5 20.Rc5+-;

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8X8 Basic Endings for Success

Centurini, 1847

White to play and WIN.  1.Bh4 Kb5 2.Bf2 Ka6 3.Bc5! Bg3 4.Be7 Kb5 5.Bd8 Kc6 6.Bh4! Bh2 7.Bf2 Bf4 8.Ba7 Bg3 9.Bb8 Bf2 10.Bh2 Ba7 11.Bg1! WINS.

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I would like to briefly summarise the type of endings found on the site. These are; (a) Basic endings. (b) Practical chess endings. (c) The Endgame study.

(a) Basic Endings. These are theoretical positions in which we know the correct result with optimum play by both sides. They may consist of three pawns or less and also include all the non-pawn and five piece endings which have now been extensively analysed by computer and of which we have tablebases. In the days when we had adjournments some of these endings could be looked up in text books to give us some idea how to play the position. As we no longer can do this, knowledge and memory of these endings has become important in practical play. Fundamental Chess Endings (2001) by Muller and Lamprecht and Basic Endings (1992) by Balashov and Prandstetter and the earlier A Pocket Guide to Chess Endgames (1970) by David Hooper are good introductions to these endings.

(b) Practical Endings. These occur in over-the-board play where usually more pawns are present. The above ending is an example of this type. Some of these endings are in the process of being transformed to basic endings but often they finish before this stage is reached. Endgame strategy is very different from the middlegame and has its own set of rules and exceptions. Fine's book Basic Chess Endings (1941,2003) recently revised by Pal Benko and Batsford Chess Endings (1993) by Speelman, Tisdall and Wade are about basic and practical endings and both can be recommended.

(c) Endgame Studies. These are positions which have been composed and will contain elements of one or both of the above types of endings. But there are important differences between these types and the study, such as artistic form and economy of construction. An endgame study has to follow strict rules of composition, especially if it is entered into a composing competition. One of these rules states there should only be one solution. If there is an unintended second solution then the study is unsound and said to be "cooked".