Werner Keym: Problem Chess Art

by Frederic Friedel
10/22/2025 – Did you find the only move in this very famous study, composed almost exactly a century ago, that allows White to draw? It looks like the stupidest move one could make – move the king to a square that takes it further away from the black pawn and blocks the promotion of his own pawn. Problem expert Werner Keym selected six studies in similar style for you to solve. Here, today, are the solutions.
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The first is a study I have tested on dozens of top players – unfortunately, most recognized it immediately. It is one of the most famous and well-loved problems in chess. I myself used it in my Christmas week column on December 30, 2014: My favourite studies. This is what I wrote at the time:

This is not an easy problem. In 1983 the readers of a German computer chess magazine reported that no computer at the time came anywhere close to solving it. I asked Ken Thompson to run it on his Belle machine and we were impressed that the reigning world computer chess champion produced the solution in two minutes and 20 seconds. Today a random chess engine takes 0.00 seconds.

The basic problem is that 1.c8Q doesn't work: 1...Bf5+ 2.Kc7 Bxc8 leaves White helpless, unable to capture the bishop, as that would allow the pawn to run. The black king approaches and supports the duo to win the game.

The only other reasonable alternative, 1.Kd6, also runs into problems after 1...Bf5 2.Kc5 Ke4 3.Kb6 Bc8. Black will now win, e.g. after 4.Kc5 (4.Ka7 b5) 4...Ke5 5.Kb5 Kd6 6.Kb6 Kd7 7.Kc5 Kxc7.

We leave it at that, it's up to you to find the only move that draws. Once again: pull out that old chess set and work it out all by yourself. Pat yourself firmly on the back if you succeed.

Or move the pieces on the above diagram, for which I have allowed the engine to be switched on (click the fan button below the board).

And here are the solutions to all six of the studies we gave you:

Click on the blue arrow pointing right for a list of the studies, left for the notation.

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Editor-in-Chief emeritus of the ChessBase News page. Studied Philosophy and Linguistics at the University of Hamburg and Oxford, graduating with a thesis on speech act theory and moral language. He started a university career but switched to science journalism, producing documentaries for German TV. In 1986 he co-founded ChessBase.
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Frits Fritschy Frits Fritschy 10/23/2025 11:16
Four old friends, a rather schematical study by Aliev and one study by Halberstadt where I wonder whether other solvers had (contrary to me) the energy to tame the 'rambling rook' (as Tim Krabbé used to call it). That can be very hard, and I wonder whether anyone here found the drawing line after 2... Qxg3. By the way, a mistake would be 2.Rc7+? Kb8 3.Bg3 Qxg3 and after both 4.Rc8+ Kb7 or 4.Rb7+ Kc8 the rook can be taken by the queen after its next check.
ChrisHolmes ChrisHolmes 10/22/2025 10:02
Indeed well known, this study appears in both Roycroft's The Modern Chess Endgame Study, & Beasley & Whitworth's Endgame Magic.
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