4/28/2020 – "All rook endings are drawn" is a well-known witticism that highlights the fact that rook endings indeed have high drawish tendencies. In fact, even being one or two pawns up does not guarantee a win. However, the diagram position is definitely not a draw. How can Black win?

4/25/2020 – The proposal to have the 4th of January named as International Day for Chess Composition was made by Valentin Rudenko, who would have turned 82 a couple of months ago. One of Rudenko's problems reached outer space, as cosmonaut Andrian Nikolaev brought one of his compositions — from the publication Suomen Shakki, 1957 — to a mission. Study of the Month columnist Siegfried Hornecker shares this story and a series of assorted compositions.

4/21/2020 – Pawn endgames might seem relatively simple – after all there are no pieces on the board – but they can be very tricky. And they require precise calculation.

4/14/2020 – Usually, the endgame queen and knight vs queen is a draw. However, if the defending king is at the rim of the board things might get tricky.

4/7/2020 – Bishop endings have drawish tendencies, even if the bishops move on squares of the same colour. Therefore, precision is required to win a better position.

3/31/2020 – With only a few pawns remaining it is often surprisingly difficult to win an endgame with a knight up.

3/28/2020 – Abram Gurvich was not only an expert chess composer but also a theatre and literary critic. As such, he rejected “all that is mechanical, systematized or unnatural”, favouring beauty as the driving force for chess players. Study of the Month columnist SIEGFRIED HORNECKER examines the work of the Russian composer, paying special attention to his article “The poetry of chess”.

3/24/2020 – Rook endings have drawish tendencies. However, precision is required.

3/17/2020 – Pawn endings require precise calculation. White to play and win.

3/10/2020 – In the endgame the pair of bishops is often a powerful weapon, as you can see in the example below.

3/3/2020 – Mating attacks also occur in the endgame. Here's an example with king and queen cooperating well.

2/29/2020 – This Study of the Month column concentrates on the “Maestro of Practical Studies” (as he is called by Sergey N. Tkachenko), Tigran B. Gorgiev. SIEGFRIED HORNECKER takes you on a tour of the life of this microbiologist and composer, whose beautiful studies are described as "a perpetual adornment to the treasury of world composition.”

2/25/2020 – Über-talent Nihal Sarin (and his coach) trains with GM Karsten Mueller in Hamburg, and you can too! On-demand for ChessBase account holders (but free this week!). Don't have an account yet? You can register a free 90-day account to watch!

2/25/2020 – Usually, the rook endgame with f- and h-pawn is a draw but the side with the pawns has good chances to win when the defending king is cut off on its back rank.

2/25/2020 – Dutch grandmaster Jan Werle returns to Hamburg, and joins Karsten in the ChessBase Studio. Live at 14:00 UTC (15:00 CET; 9:00 AM EST) and on-demand for ChessBase account holders. Don't have an account yet? You can register a free 90-day account to watch!

2/18/2020 – In chess a "candidate" is a pawn that is part of a majority and that is not obstructed by an enemy pawn on its file. When mobilising your pawn majority, Nimzowitsch's rule "candidate ahead" is usually good and right. But not always!

2/18/2020 – International Master and prolific ChessBase author Andrew Martin returns to join Karsten in the ChessBase Studio. Live at 14:00 UTC (15:00 CET; 9:00 AM EST) and on-demand for ChessBase account holders. Don't have an account yet? You can register a free 90-day account to watch!

2/12/2020 – Joining Karsten for a live endgame training session is Ukrainian GM Anna Muzychuk. Live at 14:00 UTC (15:00 CET; 9:00 AM EST) and on-demand for ChessBase account holders. Don't have an account yet? You can register a free 90-day account to watch!

2/11/2020 – Knights are tricky but sometimes that is not enough. In the diagram position, Black is able to win with the exchange and best play. Are you up to the task?

2/4/2020 – Endings with opposite-coloured bishops are often a draw. But in the diagram position Black has a really bad bishop and that allows White to win.

2/3/2020 – The latest 7-piece tablebases are now available in the ChessBase web app "Let's Check". Our endgame expert, Grandmaster Karsten Mueller recently took a look at the latest development in endgame theory by comparing his pre-7-piece-tablebase analysis of several games with the latest computer-aided definitive conclusion, including an "analysis duel" with GM Mihail Marin. Video and analysis...

1/29/2020 – Karsten welcomes back repeat Endgame Magic guest from the ChessBase office, Arne Bracker. Live at 14:00 UTC (15:00 CET; 9:00 AM EST) and on-demand for ChessBase account holders. Don't have an account yet? You can register a free 90-day account to watch!

1/28/2020 – Queens are powerful, but passed pawns can be too. Here's an example of a material imbalance you don't see every day!

1/25/2020 – Those who follow the column know that due to the high amount of Czechoslovakian chess composers a tongue-in-cheek subseries “Check Czech Chess” was created. We paused it for a while so as not to overload readers, but believe that there are a few more composers with interesting studies you will enjoy. While he might not be the most well-known composer, you might have seen the name “Dedrle” above a diagram or two in some endgame book, most likely the one pictured.