My First Endgame Study: A Chess Composition Tourney Sponsored by WFCC and ChessBase India
Beneath its deceptively simple facade of a game, chess conceals a rich tapestry of human ingenuity and thought. It is, as Anatoly Karpov succinctly remarked, art, science, and sport all rolled into one. Yet, while the competitive aspect of chess basks in the limelight with its high-stakes, action-packed tournaments and matches, the subtle but no less fascinating endeavour of chess composition, where artistry shines the brightest, languishes in relative obscurity. As a step towards redressing this imbalance, ChessBase India and the World Federation for Chess Composition (WFCC) present My First Endgame Study, a beginner-friendly study composing contest designed for chess enthusiasts eager to explore the creative world of chess composition, specifically studies. Details follow.
Compose Your First Endgame; Win Exciting Prizes!
Chess compositions fall into two primary categories: problems and studies. In problems, the solver has to achieve the stipulated goal in a set number of moves (example: mate in 2, helpmate in 3, etc.). Studies, in contrast, are more game-like, seeking a win or a draw without restrictions on the number of moves. Important: this is a study composition event only. Submissions must be studies; problems will not be eligible.
Who Can Participate:
Anyone who has never published an endgame study. This includes everyone from chess amateurs all the way to world-class players like Gukesh and Magnus Carlsen! There is NO entry fee. Chess lovers of any age, nationality, etc., may apply!
When:
The deadline to send your submission is 1st March 2025. Well, composing isn't a rush job. Tapping into creativity and imagination takes time. You have two full months - January and February - to craft your masterpiece!
How:
Submit up to 3 endgame studies to the director of the event Satanick Mukhuty at chessbaseindiasocial@gmail.com. You can send the positions along with the intended solution in any format, but PGNs are preferred. Please:
(a) Mention "My First Endgame Study" in the subject line.
(b) Include your name and place.
Theme:
All submitted studies must have a checkmate finale; that is, the mainline must end in a mate.
Newcomers, you have a clear target: choose a beautiful mate position and then work backwards to create an interesting sequence of moves leading up to it!
Results:
The results will be published by 31st March 2025 – all participants will receive a link to the results, which will be presented by Gady Costeff.
Prizes:
We are excited to offer an incredible prize pool of at least 10 awards! Our top creators will receive:
1) Monetary prizes, total of 250$: $100, $75, $50, and $25 to 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th places respectively
2) Exclusive copies of the highly anticipated book "One Endgame Study in a Thousand" Premium
3) ChessBase products, including the brand-new ChessBase 18
Judge/Mentor:
World-renowned composer Gady Costeff will spearhead the tournament as judge and mentor. Got questions about composing or want feedback on your studies before you submit them? You can reach out to him directly at costeff@gmail.com.
How to Compose a Study:
To wrap up, here’s Gady’s concise step-by-step guide, illustrated with two examples, to help you compose your first endgame study.
1. Choose a pretty mate position.
2. Where did the mating piece come from? Find a square to place it on, such that White’s only move to win is to give the mate.
3. Now find a last move for Black. All moves by Black should lose and the composer gets to decide which of them Black will play in the solution.
4. Repeat the process. Sometimes you need to add material to force a move to be unique. Try to add as little material as possible.
5. Attractive qualities in a study: sacrifices, under-promotions, active play by both sides, and anything surprising. Undesirable but sometime necessary: simple trade of material,
sidelines that require long analysis, captures on the first move of a study. Try to maximize the desirable and limit the undesirable.
6. It is okay to start the study with a black move.
7. Learn from the examples below!
Example 01
1. The black king is hunted across the board where it is mated by just a king and knight! Such movement makes the study more dynamic.
2. 8.Qa3+!! is a beautiful queen sacrifice on an empty square and it takes advantage of Nb3 blocking the black king.
3. Ideally all units, or at least all officers play during the solution. Here the black queen is just a spectator which is a slight negative.
Example 02
1. 2.a8=N+ promoting to a piece that is not a queen is a form of sacrifice. Sacrifices are artistically desirable because they are surprising.
2. 5.Rxg5+ d5+! and 7…c1=Q+ 8.Nc3+! are checks and immediate counterchecks. When both sides attack each other, the excitement rises which is artistically desirable.
3. Every unit participates in the mating picture. This is desirable, but not a requirement.
Important Links
1.Wikipedia article on endgame study
2. A step-by-step guide by Gady Costeff on how to compose an endgame study
3. A step-by-step guide by GM Johan Hellsten on how to compose an endgame study
(Note: The deadline and prize structure of this announcement were updated)
