Last week I left you with two endgame studied composed by Richard Guy, who died recently at the age of 103.

Black is going to capture the pawn on h2. If you can reply with Kf2 you’ll draw, but if you have to reply with Kf3 you’ll lose.

1. Kc8? loses to 1… Kc6! but instead the paradoxical 1. Ka8! Kc6 2. Ka7! Kd5 3. Kb6! Ke4 4. Kc5! Kf3 5. Kd4! Kg2 6. Ke3! Kxh2 7. Kf2! draws.

The first move here is, pretty obviously, 1. Kb3, but to solve this study you have to see a few ideas.

If 1… a2, you play 2. Kc2! h5 3. g5! h4 4. g6 h3 5. g7 h2 6. g8Q h1Q 7. Qg7#

Black lasts longer with 1… h5 when 2. gxh5 a2 3. Kc2 is stalemate, but 2. g5 wins.

Two variations (a2 transposes to the line above):

2… h4 3. g6 h3 4. g7 h2 5. g8Q h1Q 6. Qg7+ Kb1 7. Qg6+ Ka1 8. Qf6+ Kb1 9. Qf5+ Ka1 10. Qe5+ Kb1 11. Qe2 and mates

2… Kb1 3. Kxa3 h4 4. g6 h3 5. g7 h2 6. g8Q h1Q 7. Qa2+ Kc1 8. Qa1+ and wins

Congratulations to Chris Baker and anyone else who managed to solve these studies.