Chess “problems” do not appeal to most players. White often has such a significant material lead that in a real game Black would have resigned long ago, or White would have won long ago. The position is often such as would not arise in normal play, and the fact that there happens to be a forcible mate in as few as two moves does not impress the average player against this general background of artificiality.

“Endgame studies”, on the other hand, usually involve plausible positions and serve a didactic purpose. (That means tha might learn summat.) We all have a reasonable grasp of very basic endgame theory, except the gentleman in the Doncaster Minor, who was struggling to mate with K + Q + N versus bare K. However, studies can elucidate potentially useful ideas to convert a probable draw to a win, or a probable loss to a draw.

In the following position, White might, albeit reluctantly, agree to a draw on the general principle that White cannot win if the Black king reaches the queening square of the White pawn, as the bishop is of the “wrong” colour. In actual fact, White, to move, can force a win from this position.

Click here to see how White can stop the Black king reaching h8, and so win.

In the following position, arising perhaps after an exchange at f2, White might resign on the basis that he cannot stop the Black pawn queening, as if 1. Ng3 then 1. … Bxg3 wins easily. However, White can force a draw. The key lies in the fact that the White king is somewhat restricted, giving rise to possible stalemate positions.

Click here to see how White can draw from the above position.

Some chess problems resemble studies, as does the following one. The following problem was originally for White to move and mate in 3. Obviously, most players as White would play, say, 1. f8=Q+, which is one route to a mate in 3. Modern problemists operate the requirement for a valid problem that there is only one initial (“key”) move which works. This position has 2 essentially different working first moves, doubled to 4 by the symmetry of the position. (Here, the composer had overlooked the possible mate in 3 after 1. f8=Q+.) Thus the modern problemist regards the problem as “cooked”. The stipulation here is tidied up with the requirement that the first move must not be check. That is a massive clue! (There are still two mirror image solutions.)

Click here to see how White mates in 3 moves without checking on the first one.