9/18/2017 – The FIDE World Cup in Tbilisi is turning into a master class for the endgame rook vs bishop: Last week French GM Maxime Vachier Lagrave held a theoretically lost tiebreak game against Russian GM Alexander Grischuk and thus qualified for the next round. Where did Grischuk go wrong and how could he have won? World-class trainer Efstratios Grivas show you how — and gives you the chance to win rating points in the process.

9/17/2017 – In his previous instalment GM Efstratios Grivas showed us, systematically, how to win rook vs bishop with three paws each on the same side. In Round 4 of the FIDE World Cup, the endgame rook vs bishop occurred again, this time with a pawn each on the same side. The experienced Armenian Levon Aronian, currently number two in the world, decisively defeated the young Russian Daniil Dubov. Grivas tells us exactly how.

9/15/2017 – Like to earn some extra rating points? Or progress one more round in the World Cup? Last Friday in Tbilisi the young Hungarian GM Richard rapport drew our admiration by flawlessly winning a difficult endgame against Chinese GM Wei Yi. We reported on that fateful game, and now thankfully a top international chess trainer provides systematic instruction on how to play the rook vs bishop ending. First installment from Efstratios Grivas: Modern Endgame Manual.

9/12/2017 – If they are in harmony, rook and knight can be quite powerful and have saved or won a lot of games. But they have to be in harmony.

9/9/2017 – While watching yesterday's tiebreaks of the World Cup, my attention got caught by an endgame played between Richard Rapport and Wei Yi. With impressive ease, Rapport showed an exciting winning plan in a typical scenario "Rook vs Bishop". I consulted my (admittedly rarely used) copy of Dvoretsky's Endgame Manual and look at this: Rapport's plan was already shown in a game, coincidentally played in Tbilisi, 46 years ago! | Photo: Georgios Souleidis

9/5/2017 – Endgames with opposite coloured bishops are tricky. Sometimes they are a draw although one side is two or even three pawns up. Sometimes the bishop sacrifices itself to let his pawns queen and sometimes these endgames are a simple win. But you always have to be careful.

9/2/2017 – The Ecclesiastes and the famous fictional rabbi Ben Akiba tell us, there is nothing new under the sun, everything has happened before. In a certain way this might hold true to chess — all the ideas might have been shown, but not in that particular setting or not in this particular combination. Looking at our first example, similarities to a previous selection are seen at the end, but the introduction is completely different.

8/31/2017 – GM Nicholas Pert is in Hamburg recording a Fritztrainer to be published later this year. He joins Karsten for a look some of Pert's own queen endgames, as well as a survey of minor piece endgames from recent tournament practice. Live at 16:00 CEST (8:00 AM EST)!

8/29/2017 – If queen and king fight against king and pawn in the endgame the side with the pawn has only a chance to survive if the pawn happens to be a rook- or a bishop's pawn and is only one square away from queening. But even then things can be tricky.

8/27/2017 – Do you know which aspect of double rook endings is most often overlooked? Mating the opponent! But on his DVD about "Double rook endings" Karsten Müller dedicates a whole chapter - with stunning examples - to mating attacks in this endgame. He also shows the most important principles of this endgame. IM Martin Neubauer had a look at the DVD.

8/22/2017 – "Rooks belong behind passed pawns." Apparently, this rule goes back to Tarrasch who was known to be a bit dogmatic at times. Moreover, it's an old rule. But neither the one nor the other makes it less relevant.

8/16/2017 – Endgames are the soul of the chess games. This would probably be a phrase from GM Karsten Müller. The german grandmaster is one of the leading experts when it comes to endgames. He published books and DVD's about this topic. In his Endgame Magic Show Müller invites strong players and shows recent examples of the tournament praxis. Starting at 3pm Uk time. Guest: IM Irene Sukandar

8/15/2017 – The endgame King, Bishop and "wrong" outside pawn is a well-known draw. However, if both sides still have a rook the outside pawn usually wins. But even that is not always simple.

8/8/2017 – "The passed Pawn is a criminal, who should be kept under lock and key. Mild measures, such as police surveillance, are not sufficient." That is what Aron Nimzowitsch said about passed pawns. He knew what he was talking about. Karsten Müller also knows it.

8/5/2017 – There is a six-minute long crazy mix of music genres, recorded for fun by a musical idol, which became — against all warnings of the people working at the record labels — a megahit. It was “Bohemian Rhapsody”, the band was Queen. And then there is there is a fast-paced pop song about a 17-year-old girl, providing a great performance. So one has to “see that girl, watch that scene.” ABBA called her the Dancing Queen. Today we are going to watch her on the chessboard.

8/1/2017 – Basically, chess is a logical and just game. However, some things still astonish. For example the fact that two knights and a king cannot mate the enemy king. But this paradox sometimes offers the defender unexpected possibilities.

7/25/2017 – Mating attacks in the endgame occur less often than in the middlegame but if they occur it is often pleasing to see how the remaining pieces and pawns harmonize to mate the enemy king.

7/19/2017 – This year’s World Senior Team Championship was held in late April on the island of Crete. In the over-50s section Short, Nunn, Speelman, Arkell and Chapman played in the England One team and finished third. Our columnist Jonathan Speelman scored 5.5/7 points, winning two very nice games in the end. Jon uses these two games to demonstrate how you can play for a win in a rook and knight endgame, even when things are looking fairly drawn. Don't miss this practical GM endgame lesson from CHESS Magazine.

7/18/2017 – In pawn endings when there are no more pieces on the board the kings can often roam freely. However, they should know where they are going.

7/11/2017 – Endgames are the soul of the chess games. This would probably a phrase from GM Karsten Müller. The german grandmaster is one of the leading experts when it comes to endgames. He published books and DVD's about this topic. In his Endgame Magic Show Müller invites strong players and shows recent examples of the tournament praxis. Starting at 3pm Uk time. Guest: GM Mihail Marin.

7/11/2017 – Queen endings are notoriously difficult. Sometime they end in a perpetual, sometimes a lonely and brave passed pawn decides the day and sometimes the king is mated. Today on the playchess server, 4 pm: Endgame Magic with Karsten Müller and Mihail Marin.

7/4/2017 – Who is stronger: knight or bishop? The knight is slow but nimble. And if things go seriously wrong the knight can still try to erect a fortress. However, it's best to design such a fortress carefully.

7/3/2017 – In his new article, Siegfried Hornecker shows how rooks can be the rock stars of the chessboard. We look at the inofficial "Study of the Year 2015" by Serbian composer Mirko Miljanic, a surprising checkmate by Alois Wotawa and Henri Rinck's king helix. As an addition, a musical work by former World Champion Vasily Smyslov is discussed. The extraordinary high art of chess studies never ceases to impress.

6/27/2017 – A mating attack in the middlegame is a fine thing. So is a mating attack in the endgame. And in the endgame you can invite your king to the party.