Day 12 / 353 to go

Uff, today I felt a bit demotivated and didn´t really want to start at all: endgames   uuuaaaarrrrgghhh!   But I guess I am not the only one out there, right?!   What is kind of motivating is the outlook that one time (!) I will be able to apply it in a tournament game - I hope (and even more so I do hope I will not f... it up then!)   8-)
For the time being: plain persistance will be necessary when it comes to endgame studies!
Have a look at the following two diagrams - Black to move: In the first diagram it is a draw (with the right move from Black); the second one is won for White.  Took me a bit to get behind it...  8-/

 
What I only today recognized: I can use the software I use for hammering opening move-orders and variations into my head BRILLIANTLY for practising my endgame abilities! Because, let´s be fair about it, the lack of practice when it comes to endgames makes much of the training effort worthless; since too many things are forgotten (too fast) - as good old Ebbinghaus already taught us...

Next to the endgame session I did some online practising bundled with some engine analysis for Black. This was followed by practicing my PAT. All in all, I did about 3 hours today - not too bad (but again, I don´t have yet any feeling with regards to progress; even worse, I believe I am rather progressing slowly; but at least constantly)!

Achievements of the day:

• All else being equal (ceteris paribus) - it is better to have the bishop-pair!
• Rook versus pawn endings (outflanking / pawn having passed the middle of the board / under-promotion / stalemate-chances for g/b-pawns)