​The club was delighted to host GRANDMASTER JON SPEELMAN for an endgame lecture and coaching session on Tuesday 16th May, 2017.

The event was well attended and provided a great opportunity for attendees to improve their game, based on the lecture and supporting discussions.

Jon is a prolific author and chess commentator, at one time number four in the world, and one of the foremost experts on chess endgame play.

He presented material on pawn, minor piece and rook endings with a mix of fundamental 'must know' positions, studies and practical examples for attendees to work with.

Here is an example endgame puzzle composed by Grandmaster Richard Reti . The puzzle is considered to be one of the most famous endgame puzzles in chess. The black pawn has just advanced to h5 and seems to be unstoppable. However White to move can draw. Can you solve it?

White to move and draw. Study by Richard Reti.

SOLUTION

The puzzle below is known as the Saavedra position. It was named after a Spanish Priest Fernando Saavedra who worked out the winning  method for white in a position which for many years was thought to be a draw.
Try and solve it and press the button to see the solution.

White to move and win - Saavedra Position

Solution