Here are some of my favorite studies

Position after:

Gunst,J - 1st Prize,S Democrat, 1946 1.Kc2 Kh2 2.Kd3 Kh3 3.Ke4 Kh4 4.Kf5 Kh5 5.Rf8 Rxa7 6.Rh8+ Rh7 7.Rxh7# 1-0

Position after:

Gunst,J - 1st Prize,A 1946 1.e8Q! The main reason not to take the bishop is to avoid stalemate. After; [1.exd8Q Kg1 White only has a QvQ&B ending. The composer Vandiest has done a lot of work here but even he would find nothing here.] 1...Be7+ Forcing White to capture the bishop and head for the ending mentioned earlier, but the Queen is better placed on e7 than d8. 2.Qxe7 [2.Kc4? Kg1 3.Bg2! Kxg2 4.Qa8+ Kg1 5.Qa1+ Kg2 6.Qb2+ Kg1 7.Qd4+ Kg2 8.Qg4+ Kf2!! 9.Qh3 Bd6 10.Kd3 This is the critical moment, Cheron now gives 10...Kg1 but this is wrong as Francisco Benko has shown. Only 10...Bf4 or 10...Bg3 will allow Black to draw. (See study by Francisco Benko)] 2...Kg1 3.Ba6!! The only correct square for the bishop. 3...h1Q 4.Bb7 The new queen has no squares! 4...Qh3 [4...Qh8 5.Qe1+ Kh2 6.Qf2+ Kh3 7.Qg2+ Kh4 8.Qh2++-] 5.Qe1+ Kh2 6.Qf2+ Qg2 7.Qxg2# 1-0

Position after:

(4) Afek,Y - 1st HM.,D 1984 1.Ke1+ Kg1 2.Rg3+ Kh1 3.Ra1 Kh2 4.Kf2 Qd5 5.Rh1+ Qxh1 6.Rg7 1-0

Position after:

Afek,J  tp21, 1973 1.d7! Bxd7 2.a7! Bc6! 3.a8Q! [3.e7? g1Q 4.a8Q Be8!!] 3...Bxa8 4.e7 Bc6! 5.Kxc6 g1R!! [5...g1Q 6.e8Q+ Qg6+ 7.Kd7!] 6.e8R!! 1-0

Position after:

Afek,J  1.p wi02 oh01 ts18, 1976 1.b7 Bc5 [1...Re6 2.Nc7; 1...Rc6 2.b8N+! (2.Nc7? Rxc7) ] 2.Bxc5 [2.b8Q? Ra6+ 3.Kb7 Rb6+; 2.b8N+? Kc8 3.Bxc5 d4; 2.Nc7? Bxd4 3.b8Q Rh8] 2...Rh8+ 3.Ka7 [3.b8Q? Rxb8+ 4.Kxb8 Kc6] 3...Kc6 4.Bd4 [4.Nd6? Kxc5 5.Nc8 Rh7] 4...Rh7 [4...Rf8 5.Ka6; 4...Rh2 5.Ka8] 5.Bg7 Rxg7 6.Nd4+ Kd6 [6...Kc5 7.Ne6+] 7.Nf5+ 1-0

Position after:

Afek,J  4.p tt20, 1978 1.Kd1 [1.Kf1? f2; 1.a7? f2+ 2.Kf1; 1.f8Q? f2+ 2.Kd1 f1Q+ 3.Qxf1; 1.f8R? Kg2 2.Rg8+ Kh3 3.h7 Bf2+ 4.Kd1 h1Q+ 5.Kc2 Qe1 6.h8Q+ Bh4] 1...f2 [1...Kg2 2.f8Q] 2.f8R [2.f8Q? f1Q+ 3.Qxf1] 2...Kg2 3.a7 [3.h7? f1Q+ 4.Rxf1 h1Q] 3...h1Q 4.a8B+ [4.a8Q+? Kf1 5.Rg8 (5.Rxf2+ exf2) 5...Qxa8 6.Rxa8 Bh2 7.h7 Be5 8.Rg8 Bf6 9.Rg3 Bd4 10.Rxe3 Kg2 11.Rf3 f1Q+ 12.Rxf1 Kxf1] 1-0

Position after:

Afek,J  1.hm tt22, 1980 1.Ra5 Na4 2.Rxa4 b2 3.e8B [3.e8Q? a1Q 4.Qxe3 Qxa4+ 5.Kxd2 Qxb4+ 6.Kd1 Qb3+ 7.Ke1 (7.Kd2 Qc2+ 8.Ke1 Qc3+) 7...Qc3+ 8.Kf1 Qxg7] 3...a1B [3...a1Q 4.d4] 4.Ra2 Kxa2 5.Ra7+ Kb1 6.Ba4 Ka2 7.Bc2# 1-0

Position after:

Afek,J  3.p wi02 oh01 ts18, 1980 1.Nc3 Bc6 2.Na4+ Bxa4 [2...Kxa6 3.Nc5+ Kb6 4.Ba7+ Kc7 5.Na6+ Kd6 6.Bd4] 3.Bb5! Bxb5 4.Bc7+ Ka6 5.b8N# [5.b8Q? Bc6+] 1-0

Position after:

Afek,Y - 1st Prize,O 1981 1.e3+ Kg1 2.Bh4 h1Q 3.Bf2+ Kh2 4.Bg3+ Kg1 5.Kg4 Qh2 6.Be4 Qh1 7.Bd5 Kf1 8.Bc4+ Kg1 9.Be2 Qh2 10.Bf3 Qh1 11.Be4 Kf1 12.Bd3+ Kg1 13.Bc4 Qh2 14.Bd5 Qh1 15.e4 1-0

Position after:

Costeff,G  1st HM The Problemist, 1980 During the annual problemists meeting in Tel-Aviv, Y. Hoch gave a talk about the theme of domination. The following study is the result. 1.Nb6+ White's material advantage will win if he can save his piece. [1.Nc7+? Kb8 2.Nb5 (2.Bg3 e1Q; 2.Ne6 Rd6 3.Bg3 e1Q) 2...Rd3+ 3.Kxe2 bxc6] 1...Ka7 2.Nc8+ Kb8 [2...Ka6 3.Be4] 3.Ne7 Rd1 The knight has been saved. 4.Bg3+ [4.Kxe2? Rxe1+ 5.Kxe1 bxc6] 4...Ka8 [4...Ka7 5.Kxe2 Rg1 6.Bf2+] 5.Kxe2 Rg1! 6.Bf2 [6.Bh2? Rg7 7.Nf5 Rh7] 6...Rg5! After this White must finally lose a piece. [6...Rg7 allows; 7.Nf5 Rg5 8.Be4] 7.Be4!! [7.Be3? Re5] 7...Re5 8.Nd5 Rxe4+ 9.Kf3 The rook is caught in the middle of the board. 9...Re5 10.Nb6+ Kb8 [10...Ka7 11.Nd7+] 11.Nd7+ 1-0

Position after:

Elkies,N  1.p wi02 tv03, 1987 In composed positions castling is presumed legal if the king and rook are on their original squares. 1.g7 [1.0-0-0? Rb8; 1.Ng5? g2 2.Nf3+ Kg3 3.g7 Rb8 4.Ng1 Rg8 5.Ra7 Kg4] 1...g2 [1...Rb8 2.Nf8 g2 3.Kd2! (3.0-0-0? Rd8 4.Re1 Re8 and Black holds.) 3...Rb2+ 4.Kc3] 2.g8Q! [2.g8R? Rb8; 2.0-0-0? Rb8 3.Nf8 Rd8 drawing as we have seen.] 2...Rc2!! this throws a spanner into the position; he can neither castle nor stop the g-pawn from queening. 3.Nf6! [3.Kd1? Rf2 4.Qb8+ Kh1; 3.Ra2? Rxa2 4.Qxa2 Kh1] 3...g1Q+ 4.Qxg1+ Kxg1 5.Ng4!! Here it is. White's only threat is 6.Ne3 winning the rook after 6...Rc3 7.Kd2 or 6...Rh2 7.0-0-0, or 6...Rf2 (h2) 7.0-0-0 Kh2 (f2) 8.Ng4. Remarkably, Black has no defence. Check it out for yourself. 5...c4 [5...Rc4 6.Ke2+ Kg2 7.Ne3+; 5...Rb2 6.0-0-0++-; 5...Kh1 6.Ne3 Rh2 7.0-0-0#!; 5...Rg2 6.0-0-0# is nice.] 6.Ne3 Rh2 7.0-0-0+ Kf2 8.Ng4++- 1-0

Position after:

Comay,O 3rd HM Israel Ring, 1990 1.Nc4+ Ka6 [And not 1...Nxc4 2.d8Q pinning the knight.; Or; 1...Kb5 2.Nd6+ Kc5 3.Nc8!] 2.Bb7+!! [The natural continuation; 2.Nxb6 leads to a tricky game; 2...Ne6 3.Bd5 Nd8! 4.Nc4 (4.Na8 Rxd7+ 5.Kg6 Ka7+-) 4...Rxd7+ and the bishop falls.] 2...Rxb7 3.Na5 Kxa5 4.d8N!! Ra7 5.Nc6+= Draw. 1/2-1/2

Position after:

Hoch,Y 1st Prize Mandil Mem. , 1980 [,J] This study is a landmark in composition in Israel 1.a5+!! [The thematic try; 1.Rxf6+ Ka7 2.Qg7+ Qc7 3.Rf7 Black's queen is lost but; 3...Rc1+ 4.Kxg2 Rc2+ 5.Kf3 The king must head for h7 5...Rc3+ 6.Ke4 Rc4+ 7.Kd5 Rc5+ 8.Ke6 Rc6+ 9.Kf5 Rc5+ 10.Kg6 Rc6+ 11.Kh7 No more checks 11...Kxa6!! 12.Rxc7 Rxc7 13.Qxc7 stalemate.] 1...Kxa6 2.Rxf6+ Ka7 3.Qg7+ Qc7 4.Rf7 Rc1+ 5.Kxg2 Rc2+ 6.Kf3 Rc3+ 7.Ke4 Rc4+ 8.Kd5 Rc5+ 9.Ke6 Rc6+ 10.Kf5 Rc5+ 11.Kg6 Rc6+ 12.Kh7 Ka8!! Black finds a new stalemate trap. 13.Qg8+ Ensuring a hiding place for the king. [13.Rxc7 Rxc7 14.Qxc7] 13...Qc8 14.Rf8 Rc7+ 15.Kh8 Ka7 16.Qg1+!+- [16.Rxc8 Rxc8 17.Qxc8] 1-0

Position after:

Korolkov,V  1951 This is one of Korolkov's most brilliant studies. 1.f7 [1.Bb2 Rxf6] 1...Ra6+ [1...Rf6 2.Bb2; 1...Rg8 2.fxg8Q+ Kxg8 3.Ne7+] 2.Ba3! [2.Kb1 Bxf5+] 2...Rxa3+ 3.Kb2 Ra2+ 4.Kc1! [4.Kxa2 Be6+=; Why not; 4.Kc3 ] 4...Ra1+ 5.Kd2 [5.Kb2 Rb1+ 6.Kc3 Rb3+ 7.Kd4 Rd3+ 8.Kxd3 Bxf5+] 5...Ra2+ 6.Ke3 Ra3+ 7.Kf4 Ra4+ 8.Kg5 Rg4+ 9.Kh6! [9.Kxg4 Bxf5+ 10.Kxf5 Kg7 11.Ke6 Kf8 12.Kf6; 9.Kh5 Rg8 10.Ne7 Rf8 11.Ng6+ Kg7; Can White win after; 9.Kf6 ] 9...Rg8 [9...Rg6+ 10.Kxg6 Bxf5+ 11.Kh6] 10.Ne7 Be6 11.fxg8Q+! [11.Ng6+ Rxg6+ 12.Kxg6 Bxf7+] 11...Bxg8 12.Ng6# 1-0

Position after:

Bent,C 1993 1.Bb7+ Kd6 2.Nf7+ Kxe6 3.d5+ Qxd5 4.Bc8+ Qd7+ 5.Bxd7+ Kd5 6.Bxf5 h2 7.Bc8 Kc6 8.Bg4 h1Q 9.Bf3+ Qxf3 10.Ne5+ fxe5 1/2-1/2