Practical Endgames for Composing Inspiration II.

This is a 2nd article that will show practical chess endgames which contain remarkable positions or maneouvres

which hopefully inspire Endgame study composers to create new Endgame studies.

 Latest adds: 10-3-2026

Anyone who has an interesting endgame with surprises in it, could send it to the Webmaster of Arves.

(look for the email address at the Board page).

See also: Inspiration for Study Composers I

and Inspiration for Study Composers III

The following Endgame examples from played games are mostly  chosen from the book by Laszlo Polgar (1999):

 

Although may be more than 50% off the examples in the book are Endgame studies,

there are also interesting endgames from games with surprising moves.

The material in the book is organized around themes:.

 1) Black manages to hold the draw by sacrificing a pawn:

2) Black start with a suprising move and after liquidation White gets in Zugzwang:

3) Black starts with a pawn sacrifice:

4) White has dangerous pawns but his king is also in great danger.

5) Black manages to break through !

6) White finds the Stalemate way to make a draw:

7) Black uses stalemate threats to make a draw:

8) A rambling Rook for White:

 

9) Black manages to create a unique fortress:

 

10) Also here Black manages to keep the gate closed:

11) It looks as if Black has a perpetual, but White finds his way out nicely:

12) White played 1.Kf2 but extensive analyses show 1.Kd2 wins, mostly by trapping the Black rook:

12) Also here with extensive analyses the nice Bishop sacrifice is justified:

13) After the amazing starting move black is in trouble:

14) In the game Black played 1...a5? A wonderful first move to keep the White Rook from b5:

15) Although a Nalimov position, White missed the first and only winning move:

16) Black starts nicely and manages to get through:

17) In the old days they also knew how to break through:

18) A nice calculated liquidation into Zugzwang by White:

19) Black plays the only winning move and shows the way:

20) White starts with a clever move not letting black to gain a tempo on the Rook:

21) Marching along the backdoor is the way to win for Black:

22) The White King needs to march from behind: 

23) Sacficing the Queen for a decisive bind and win:

24) Black forces White into Zugzwangs:

25) The first move is important:

26) Avoiding a need to know draw position if White goes wrong with 1.Rxe5?:

27) A very precise Black play to save the draw!:

A study in itself?

28) The world champion missing a nice liquidation:

29) Well calculated by White:

30) Black rook sacrifice for marching pawns:

31) Nicely calculated break through:

32) White creates troubles at two fronts:

33) Opening up the position with the better bishops:

34) Very instructive play by White:

35) The only winning move seems illogic at first:

36) Black must act. Also 1...b4 is good for a draw:

37) White has a clear combination:

38) White saves himself with a remarkable fortress:

39) A nice combination from the old days;

40) Black goes wrong getting a hard surprise:

41) White has a Rambling Rook threat as defense idea:

Black played 1...Rb7 and all went into a draw. But with Re3! a win was available.

42) Black starts with a magnificient sacrifice:

43) Black manages to perpetual or stalemate:

44) Remarkable, White can sacrifice his Knight and keep the Black King out on an open board !:

45) White played 1.f3 ?, but could have maintained the fortress:

46) The Black Knight jumps around:

47) Sacrificing all the pawns for an active King:

48) Not afraid to jump into a discover check:

49) A long way to Tipperary:

50) Suddenly the Bad Black Bishop becomes the winner:

51) Black has a fortress:

52) White had a nice win but played 1.e6?:

53) White starts with the right plan but lost it on the way:

54) The actions by the White Rook are more dangerous:

55) Black missed his opportunity:

56) Giving away a Rook with a fork for the win:

57) The non-intuitive switchback with the Rook missed by Black:

58) A nice illustration, how to tempo out a position:

59) Activating the Black King is more important than a pawn: 

60) Good coordination by Black between Rook, Knight and King:

61) Clever play by Black:

63) White does not accept Rook offers at e4?:

64) Not easy to find all these finessess for Black:

65) Only precise play keeps the draw:

66) A nice liquidation and 6th move by Black:

67) Although it looks simpel, White needs a very precise move!

68) The 1st move is a littele surpise?

69) Keeping the Black King on the line:

70) Black almost wins but White has a resource:

71) Black has to get rid of his pawn to be able to draw:

72) Mating net:

73) How to handle tension: 

74) The Black Knight jumps around:

75) Zugzwangs all the time:

76) Bringing the pawns to phenix in a precise way:

77) Ignoring the Bishop at h3 bringing Black in Zugzwang:

78) Giving White two passed pawns to draw!

79) Positional draw with minus two pawns:

80) Drawing by bringing the Black Knight to h1:

81) Another fortress:

82) Black made the wrong move but a fortress was possible:

83) Another method to bring the draw home:

84) A long struggle for the draw (certain sublines are omitted):

85) White has a nice mate just in time in two variations:

86) Worldchampion Gukesh misses a draw line in time trouble, White wins nicely:

87) Black forgot to make a "Luftlog" and it's Queen is overloaded:

88) A spectacular breakthrough although seen before: