We talked a few times about Genrikh Kasparyan already, this time we delve a bit into his book “Domination in 2545 Endgame Studies”. At the time, the book served as a great anthology and also a small theoretical introduction to the theme. | Photo: Midjourney AI
Two years ago, we had a collection of “random” endgame studies, a small kaleidoscope, in January, and then again in July. With the vast number of different possibilities in endgame studies, many creations wouldn’t fit into a coherent article, so let us take this approach again. | Pictured: Mikhail Botvinnik during his match for the world crown against David Bronstein in 1951
Castling is a fascinating move. According to Wikipedia, "it originates from the 'king's leap', a two-square king move added to European chess between the 14th and 15th centuries, which took on its present form in the 17th century". The intricacies of the rules of castling have inspired many studies. Specialized columnist Siegfried Hornecker presents some of them. | Photos: Pixabay
Due to recent events, in these times of turmoil that have divided the world, I will this time not speak on behalf of the WFCC, but on behalf of my own, my personal opinion. | Photos: Pixabay
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Study of the Month: April 2021
What is an ‘endgame study’? By definition, it is (unless an author specifies otherwise) a position in which White wins or draws
in exactly one way.
How do you know that there is exactly one way? Endgame tablebases (EGTB) are a proof, but unlike many other genres, there is no way to use brute force or heuristically solve an endgame study to find a complete proof of it being correct. That is where cook hunters come in. A cook is an incorrectness in an endgame study, either a refutation or a dual. A dual first and refutation later might lead to a unique solution, but not to a correct study usually, as the author’s intention is lost. Let’s explore cooks!