Endgames Are So Boring!-The Saavedra Study

This fascinating endgame study has an almost equally interesting back story. "The Saavedra position is one of the best-known chess endgame studies. It is named after the Spanish priest Fernando Saavedra (1849–1922), who lived in Glasgow during the late 19th century. Though not a strong player..." from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saavedra_position

Try your luck with no hints here: 

White to move (diagram below)

How should the game end (with best play for both sides)? A White victory, a black victory or a draw; and how?

Luckily Saavedra wrote into the magazine and showed off a brilliant defense by Black: 

So now the magazine publishes this position, saying it's an amazing draw for Black as pointed out by an astute reader!

Not so fast! Saavedra writes back in and points the correct solution: that White has an incredible idea to win the game, even against Black's most resourceful defensive ideas. See if you can figure it out! The solution is in the diagram below:

I hope you enjoyed and this made studying endgames just a little less boring 

Let me know what you think in the comments (please be courteous to others). Or even share some endgame studies you have enjoyed!

For more information about me (NM Craig Clawitter) please visit my personal website:  https://nmcraigclawitter.weebly.com/

Cheers,

Craig Clawitter

National Master