BACK RANK MATE

Hi, how are you doing today? Hope you are keeping fine! I would
like to take two minutes of your time to discuss something
interesting to you and me. I am talking about Chess.
Back Rank mate is a well known tactical device in Chess. Today
we are going to see an elegant Back Rank Mate from a game
played in New Orleans between Edwin Adams and Carlos Torre in
the year 1924.
By the by, I think you know what is a Back Rank mate. Here is a
simple example to show you what's a back rank mate. The name
Back Rank mate is given because the mate is given in the back
yards of the Kings palace.
This position shows that there is a weakness in the Black's back
rank as there is no escape square for the King to move once a
check comes in the eighth rank.
It is White to move. In case the White Queen goes to e8 and
checks, it will not create the checkmate as the Black Queen comes
to block the check at f8.
And at the same time, white captures the Black Queen with White
Queen and Black retakes the White Queen with the Rook, the
Black back rank goes unsupported. Then the White Rook gives
checkmate at e8, because there is no escape square for the King to
move to save himself. This is a simple example of back Rank Mate
just to show you. Now you know what is a Back Rank Mate.
Now let's go the game we talked about earlier - the game between
Adams and Torre. Adams was playing White. This is a famous
game and is referred in so many books. World Champion Tal
named this Back Rank combination as the combination of the
century.
Let's go to the position. Material is balanced and Black's position,
at first sight, does not seem to be dangerous. You may note that
White's Rooks are doubled and attacking the square e8. The Rook
at e8 is getting support from the other Rook at c8 and the Queen at
d7. But the Queen is sitting precariously at d7 without any support.
Another weakness we can note in the Black's position is that there
is no escape room for the Black King to move in case there is a
check in the Back rank. This becomes the motif of the combination
which is carried out with a series of brilliant moves centering
around diverting the Black Queen and the Rook at c8 from their
defence of the critical square e8.
So, we see the e8 square is being protected twice and being
attacked twice. If White can divert one protection away from the
e8 square, Black will be in danger. But how can White divert one
protection away from square e8?
Adams found a way. A grandiose combination from Adams, the
combination of the century.
You might have noted that White's Queen is under attack from the
Black Bishop. So,White has to play the Queen. But to where? And
how to continue the attack on the Black's back rank?
Adams found a great move..... Queen to g4!! What? The g4 square
is unprotected and the Black Queen can take the White Queen!
Yeah! That's exactly what White wants!
If the Black Queen takes the White Queen, the Rook at e8 loses its
one support and back rank mate happens, because then only the c8
Rook supports the e8 Rook but the attack is twice.
Therefore, the Black Queen cannot capture White Queen. But on
the contrary now, the Black Queen is under attack from White
Queen. Black Queen silently moves away from the White Queen's
attack and goes to b5 square, keeping support to e8 square.
And the White Queen was not ready to leave her counterpart like
that. She continues her attack on the Black queen and reaches to c4
square. Now what happened is that, the White Queen attacks the
Black queen at b5 as well as the Black Rook at c8. Can't the Rook
capture the Queen? No! The White Queen is immune. Because
both Rook and Queen cannot take the White Queen as there is
Back Rank Mate hanging on at e8 square.
The Black Queen goes to d7 to keep support to both the Rooks.
But the persistent White Queen further attacks the Black Queen
reaching to c7 - to the lion's den. This is the move we mortals miss
and great grandmasters play! A bolt from the blue!
Even now, both the Rook and Queen cannot capture the arrogant
White Queen and at the same time, the Black Queen is under fire.
So, she goes to the b5 square again.
This time the pawn at a2 comes to a4 and attacks the Black Queen
and the Black Queen is forced to capture the pawn to stay in the
diagonal to support the e8 square.
Here comes a new attack on the Queen - the White Rook reaches
to e4. This is a tremendous attack as the Rook attacks the Queen
as well as the back rank at e8, simultaneously.
The attacking White Rook is also immune. Rook cannot take
Rook as there Queen takes the Rook at c8. Queen cannot take
Rook as there Rook takes the Queen and consequent back rank
mate.
Therefore, the Black Queen goes to b5 once more with a sigh of
relief. She expected no more attacks.
The White Queen was adamant in her attack and also ready to
sacrifice herself for the success of her King. And she captures the
innocent pawn at b7 unleashing the final attack on the Black
Queen.
Now there is no escape square for the Black Queen to hide herself
and support the Rooks. The Black Queen captures the White
Queen in a fit of frenzy. Enough is enough. She has nothing to do
otherwise. This leads to the Back Rank mate and the combination
of the century.
The White Queen offered herself for six consecutive moves, for
the sake of higher goals. The Black Queen was harassed and
attacked persistently by the White queen. Only the Black Queen
was moving in the Black's camp.
Thanks for watching this short video. Hope you have learned
something today. Keep visiting here and keep updating your chess
wisdom. My name is Varghese, I am a FIDE approved Trainer and
an Arbiter. Please feel free to ask any questions about chess and I
will be happy to respond. May all your games end well!
See you soon. Take care. Bye for now.