Welcome to the start of chess summer school at arcamax.com. In the coming weeks, we’re going to be concentrating on the basics of chess, mostly in the endgame, where people are weaker. This week will be about bishop and pawn endings where simple positions offer great challenges.

Solution:

1.d7 Be8! 2.d8=B!! [Yes, indeed! White must underpromote to a bishop because a rook or a queen would stalemate Black and a knight just wouldn't work.]2...Bf7 [2...Bh5 3.Be7+ Ke8 4.Bb5#; 2...Bb5 3.Be7+ Ke8 4.Bxb5#; 2...Bc6 3.Bf7 Be8 4.Be7#] 3.Be7+ Kg8 4.Bxf7+ Kh8 5.Bf8 Kh7 [At this point, please not, that as with K+Q vs K and K+R v R, you have to leave the cornered king with just two squares to move back and forth in. This also gives us here a lesson on mating with the two B's!] 6.Bd5 Kh8 7.Kf7 Kh7 8.Be4+ Kh8 9.Bg7#

Send questions and comments to PTamburro@aol.com.