IMPORTANT

END GAMES
IN CHESS

A Collection of
most Common
endings and how
to Conduct
through them
IMPORTANT
END GAMES
IN CHESS

Philip Robar

PANKAJ PUBLICATIONS
NEW DELHI
 Books on Chess
Published by Pankaj Publications

A Guide to Chess
300 Chess Problems
Important End Games in Chess
Techniques of End Game
Techniques of Middle Game
Techniques of Opening Game
Chess—How to become a Champion
Rules of Chess

L Pankaj Publications; Cambridge Book Depot. 3,

Regal Building, Sansad Marg, New Delhi 110001.
 INTRODUCTION
The endgame is a rather difficult and somewhat
uninteresting study for an average chessplayer. This
probably is the reason why a vast majority of chessplayers
do not pay particular attention to the perfection of their
endgame technique. But any weakness in the understand­
ing of basic endings are ruthlessly revealed and have
serious consequences. Theoretical knowledge plays an
indispensable part of the winning potential in the last
stages of the game.
In the last stages most of the material has already been
removed from the board and situation looks quite simple
but paradoxically, the very simplicity of the endgame adds
in practice to its difficulty and lends it, in the minds of
many, an air of mystery. A player’s true strength and
ability can be judged reliably from this final phase of the
struggle. The hand of the master is easily distinguishable
and it is no accident that all the present and past great
masters of chess are virtuosos of the endgame.
At the final stage the player is usually confronted by
one of the tasks: to exploit the advantage he has gained in
the earlier part of the game and convert it into a win, or
neutralize his opponent’s advantage by accurate defence
and draw the game; or finally, having failed to gain an
advantage in the middle game, he can try to obtain it here.
The endgame begins when there is a relatively small
number of pieces left on the board and, but for the rare
exceptions, direct attacks on the King with the
combinatorial complications typical of the middle game
are impossible. The concluding stage of a game of chess
has its characteristic peculiarities which, in comparison
with the middle game, alter the whole approach to the
3
position and the significance of the forces in action on the
board.
The first important moment distinguishing the
endgame from the other stages of the game is when the
King takes an active part in the play. Having “sat out” the
whole game behind the pawn bastions in its own camp, the
King now becomes an active piece and tries to participate
in the struggle with all its might. It falls upon the opponent’s
pieces and is often the first to force its way into the enemy
camp.
Comparatively few pieces are left on the board in the
endgame, but their relative values are considerably
mcreased. For success it is important to know hpw to get
maximum activity out of the pieces and to organize the co­
operation of the pieces among themselves and With the
pawns. To play the endgame correctly means to make
pne’s fighting forces active to the greatest possible extent
atkl to assure their smooth co-operation.
In the endgame it is rarely possible, even with a big
material advantage, to mate the opponent’s King at once,
cme lacks the force to do it. In order to obtain a sufficient
material superiority one must promoteone or several
pawns. This means that since every “insignificant” Pawn
may, given the chance, become a mighty piece—a
Queen—their role here is greatly increased. Pawn
promotion is one of the strategic tasks of the endgame.
ft is relatively easier to study the endgame with its small
number of pieces and Pawns, than it is the other stages of
the game. In the development of the chess theory over the
feist hundred years, dozen of endgame positions havebeen
thoroughly analysed and published in the literature of the
$me. In these positions, the best methods of attack and
. dtefence have been found and the final outcome, granted
4
correct play on both sides has been determined.
Furthermore for many endings typical playing procedures
have been established .and auxiliary methods worked out
which permit a rapid and accurate appreciation of the
position. Ending which have been investigated like this are
called theoretical. In playing these endings, which are
often far from easy, accurate knowledge is of first
importance. When it is put to proper use, the game
inevitably ends in its preordained result.
Play does not become theoretical immediately the
endgame is reached, though even in the most complicated
positions typical manoeuvres have now been elaborated
and the best ways of playing discovered. Normally, the
problem in a complex ending is to transpose it into the sort
of positions that have already been studied:
When learning chess one ought to begin with an
analysis of simple positions with a small number of fighting
units. And these, as a rule, are endgame positions. By
analysing straight forward endings with the most varied
combinations of material, the beginner can get to know the
special characteristics of the various pieces and the
mechanism of their struggle against each other. He may
then more easily understand the way they work together.
Thus the study of the simplest endings should precede the
analysis of the openings and the middle game.
We will now make an attempt to provide the reader
with the basic properties of the pieces and how they
interact with each other.

5
THE PROPERTIES OF THE PIECES
In the final phase the importance and strength of each
piece becomes augmented and stands out in greater relief
than in the other stages of the game. We will therefore,
review the properties of the pieces in this light.
THE KNIGHT: It is a short range piece, it attacks
squares which are comparatively near to it. Eightsquares
come under the simultaneous fire from the Knight when it
is stationed in the centre of the board, but as it approaches
the edge, the number it can control at the same time
diminishes, or as it is commonly put, its striking power
decreases. In the corner of the board the Knight can
attack only two squares, in other words, its striking power
goes down fourfold. It is clear that centralization enables
the Knight to display its strength to the full. The Knight
differs from all other pieces in its right to jump over pieces
and Pawns. Because of this exclusive property, its power
does not diminish in closed positions.
The following property of Knight is interesting, if it
stands, for example, on a black square, it can attack
another black square only in an even number of moves
and a white square only in an uneven number.
THE BISHOP: This is a long range piece. Its striking
power alters from thirteen squares when it is in the centre
to seven at the edge of the board. Centralization enhances
the Bishop’s possibilities. Thanks to its long range action it
is better than the Knight at handling play on two flanks. If
its sphere of action is restricted by Pawns, its strength
decreases. The Bishop needs clear diagonals.
THE ROOK: A long range piece, it attaks exactly
fourteen squares from any point on the board. Its striking
power, therefore, does not depend on its placing. To
6
display its strength to the best the Rook needs space­
open lines (rank and files.)
THE QUEEN: This is the piece with the greatest
range. The striking power of the Queen alters from twenty
seven squares when it is in the centre to twenty one at the
edge of the board. Centralization heightens its fighting
qualities. To display its power fully the Queen also needs
open space (ranks, files and diagonals)
THE PAWN: The Pawn has the least striking power
and its mobility is highly restricted specially at the initial
stages of the game. The situation is reversed in the final
phases as the mobility of the Pawn becomes greater and
the most importants, its importance becomes tenfold
because of its capacity of getting promoted to any desired
piece. The Pawn manipulations is the most important
aspect of the endgame studies and should be mastered
thoroughly.
THE KING: Last but not least is the King which gains
importance aS a striking pieces cis the game enters the
endgame phase. Its striking power varies from three to
eight squares depending upon the position it occupies in
the board. The King plays a very important and deciding
role in supporting the Pawn heading for promotion.
This, in brief, is the summary of the properties of
pieces.We shall now study the main themes which recure
again and again in checkmating the King.

IMPORTANT THEMES IN
CHECKMATING THE KING
THE PIN: A pin is really a quite simple idea. A player
is not allowed to move a piece which will put his own King
in check. Such a piece is said to be pinned and although
7
seemingly powerful and attacking is in reality a helpless
guy. The seeming strength of the pinned’piece is illusory
and deceptive. One should avoid getting a piece pinned as
far as possible as in an unguarded moment this leads to a
great loss and even checkmate.
THE FORK: The Knight has a special privilege of
jumping over the other pieces. As the squares which are
under the attack of Knight are neither in a rank, a file or
a diagonal, sometimes two pieces seemingly quite apart
come under simultaneous attack of Knight and the only
option before the opponent is to loose one. If one of the
pieces being attacked is the King, the other piece has to be
sacrificed. The fork is a deadly weapon in the arsenal of the
player and recure again and again in the checkmating
tFWFDCS
THE DISCOVERED CHECKS: The discovered
checks are quite common and have an element of surprise
in them. It is important for all players to be familiar with
them. The idea is quite simple. The player moves a piece
which clears rank, a file or a diagonal and the opponent’s
King is under check. As the opponent will have to parry
the check somehow, the piece which has been moved is
free to attack and can cause a great damage, usually loss of
a vital piece.
THE DOUBLE CHECKS: A double check is a
special type of discovered check and is one of the most
powerful moves in chess. They have an element of force
and inevitability in them. The idea is that, as in discovered
check, the player moves a piece clearing a rank, a file or a
diagonal so that the King comes under check and at the
same time the piece moved is also putting the King under
check. As a result the opponent King is under check by
two,pieces simultaneously. The important thing about
8
double checks is that you can only get out of them by
moving your King. It is impossible to block both checks in
one move and you cannot take both the checking pieces in
one move, so a King move is the only escape left. In moving
out of double check the King can sometimes take one of
the checking pieces. A beginner should always be in the
look out for the discovered and double check and take
advantage wherever possible.
EXAMPLES: Diagram A gives an example of the pin.
The black Bishop cannot be moved because then the
black King will be under check by the white Rook which is
not permitted by the rules of chess. However, it must be
remembered that the white King cannot move to h3 as this
square is under attack by the black Bishop (although it is
pinned) and the white King would be moving into check
himself. Now look at the diagram B. Although the Bishop is
controlling the square e6, white can play Ne6+without the
danger of being taken by the Bishop as it is pinned by the
white Rook.
Diagram C gives an example of discovered check.
White can check the black King by just moving his Rook to
any square. As soon as the Rook is moved the black King
is under attack by the white Bishop. This is known as the
discovered check. If however this Rook moves to g4or e6,
the black King will be under double check i.e. by the white
Bishop as well as by the white Rook. The power of the
discovered and double check is illustrated by the diagram
D. If the white Rook is moved to g8 black will be under
double check and he will have to move the black King to g8
by capturing the white Rook. But if the white Rook moves
to h7 and captures the black Pawn, the black has no option
but to move to g8 and in the next move, the black Rook is
also captured.
9
 8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
abodefgh abcdefgh
A B

8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
abodefgh
c D

10
 SOME SIMPLE CHECKMATE
POSITIONS

abcdefgh
Rook and Knight Two Rooks
1 Ne4-f6+ Kg8-h8 1 Ra5-a7+ Kf7^e8,
2 Rf7-h7# f8 or g8
2 Rb6-b8#

abcdef gh .a b c d e. f g h
Two Rooks Back row (or rank)
1 Rd7-g7+ Kg8-h8 1 Rd5-d8+ Rc8xd8
2 Rg7-h7+ Kh8-g8 2 Rd4xd8#
3 Rc7-g7#
11
 abcdefgh

Rook and Bishop Queen and Knight

1 Rel-gl+ Kg8-h8 1 Qb5-d7+ Kc8-b8
2 Bc3xf6# 2 Ne5-c6+ Kb8-a8
3 Qd7-a7 or
c8#

abcdefgh

Queen and Bishop Queen and King

1 Qb4-e7 Kc8-b8 1 Qg4-g7+ Ke7-d&
2 Qe7-b7# 2 Ke5-d6 Kd8-<8
3 Qg7-c7#
Or if 2 ... Kd8-e8; 3
Qg7-e7#.
You have seen how pieces work together forcing positions
of checkmate.
12
 With only the enemy King on the board you need at least
the following forces to achieve checkmate :
King and Queen
King and Rook
King and two Bishops
King, Knight and Bishop
King and three Knights (this very unlikely situation could
only arise if a Pawn had been promoted to a Knight)
It is necessary to realise, of course, that with enemy pieces
blocking the way of their own King, it may be possible to
checkmate with less material—even with a Pawn supported by
another piece, Also, as you have seen in the previous diagrams,
you do not always have to use your King as a supporting piece.
However, you cannot force checkmate against a lone King
with only a King and Bishop, or even with a King and two
Knights. Such endings are therefore drawn. Similarly King v
King is drawn! You might think that it is unnecessary to
mention that, but we have seen some beginners chasing round
the board, each with a lone King—all to no avail!
It is very useful to become familiar with the following patterns
of checkmate. The best way to do this is to set up each position
on the chessboard, and see how many similar patterns you can
make, using the same pieces in each case.

13
 PATTERNS OF CHECKMATE

Each of the following diagrams have been divided into four

quarter-diagrams for convenience. Thus every quarter-diagram
is a separate mating pattern, and these are numbered from
1 to 32.

1. Queen Checkmates

14
 Patterns of Checkmate
2. Rook Checkmates

15
 (22) Similar to (21)
but with the
(21) Bishop aided by Knight covering
knight escape square
from a different
position

(24) Bishop mate

(23) Bishop aided by with support by
Rook Knight and
Bishop

4. Knight Checkmates

(25) Knight mates (26) Knight mates

aided by King with Pawn help

27) Knight in the (28) Two Knights

amusing trap the enemy
‘smothered* King
mate* position

(29) Knight mates (30) Knight and

with Bishop Bishop in a
different mating
support
pattern

(32) Knight mates

(31) Knight and with Queen
Rook mate help

•16
BASICS OF CHESS
Trying to play chess without having the feel of the
game is like trying to learn to act without ever walking
across a stage. It’s possible—but a thousandfold
harder to do. After a while you will get to feel at home
with a chessboard; the pieces will become familiar fig­
ures to you. And you will, if you give yourself half a
chance, grow to love this fascinating “royal game.”
Chess has often been called a game of war, and
there probably is more than a grain or two of truth in
this. But the comparison cannot be carried too far (al­
though one chess master actually won many games
basing his strategy on the principles of military opera­
tions). Chess has remained essentially unchanged for
a thousand years or more; war, on the other hand, has
not.
Where wars were once decided by the clash of men
on well laid-out fields of battle, they are now fought by
entire populations in an arena that outreaches the
world. Chess is still played on the same four-sided
battlefield used by its earliest exponents. That battle­
field is the chessboard; let’s examine it.
The Board
The chessboard is eight squares wide and eight squares
long, a total area of 64 squares. In any row the light
and dark squares alternate; in any diagonal the squares
are all one color.
Colors are far from standard; they range from
straightforward black and white to such off-beat com­
binations as green and blue or gold-flecked and silver-
flecked. By convention, however, the lighter squares
are called white and the darker ones black. And by
convention, too, the board is placed between the play­
17
ers (who alternate in moving) so that each player has
a white square in his lower right-hand comer. The
rows that point from one player to the other are called
files; the crossing rows are called ranks.
So much for the board. Now let’s look at the forces
—the chess pieces.
The Men
THE KING
The most important piece—the one around which the
whole game revolves—is the King. He is the largest
piece and, in most traditionally designed sets, can
easily be recognized by the cross he wears on his
crown. The symbol for the King is for White and
^|pfor Black; his abbreviation is K.

THE QUEEN
The strongest piece is the Queen. She is the power be­
hind the throne, and her status is indicated by her
size; she is just a hair smaller than the King, who still
outranks her in importance. Unlike him, however, she
wears a coronet, not a crown, and there is no cross to
top her off. Her symbol is for White and 'ty for
Black; her*abbreviation is Q.

THE ROOK
Next, in order of power, is the Rook, the piece that in
standard sets looks like the tower of a castle. Many
casual chess players, in fact, call this piece the castle.
But, as you will soon learn/this can be confusing. The
true name is derived from the Persian word rouk,
which means elephant. You can see evidence of this
origin in chess sets made in the Far East—Or designed
to look as though made in the Far East. In these exotic
18
sets the Rook is, in fact as well as in name, an ele­
phant, often carrying a howdah on its back. In stand­
ard sets, which are called the Staunton Pattern after
the English chess master, the piece looks something like
the symbol for White and 8 for Black. And the
abbreviation—casual players notwithstanding—is R.

THE BISHOP

The Bishop is the piece with the slit in its head. Sup­
posedly, this represents a Bishop’s mitre. But it might
also represent a court jester’s hat (the French call this
piece le Fou, the fool, or jester). The English abbrevi­
ation, however, is B. And the symbol of the piece is
for White and for Black.

THE KNIGHT
The Knight is probably the most fascinating piece for
beginners and grandmasters alike (though beginners
seem to mix their fascination with a touch of fear). It
has not changed its appearance since chess was in­
vented (some might say discovered), or so we are led
to believe by historical findings. It is true that in many
old chess sets, and in some modern ones, the piece is
a knight on horseback. But though the knight himself
may disappear, his horse does not. For this reason the
casual player is at odds here, too, with official rules.
He calls this piece (he Horse. But he would have
trouble following a printed score or a chess book, be­
cause the abbreviation is not H. It is, in most modem
chess books, N. This is not a case of poor spelling; the
convention was adopted because the old abbreviation
(Kt) frequently was confused with K, the abbreviation
for the King. When game scores appeared in agate
(that miniscule type so handv for hidden clauses in
’ 19
legal documents) the chess enthusiast, trying to dis­
tinguish K’s from Kt’s, often as not ended up in an
optometrist’s chair. The symbol is unmistakable. It is
<^for White and for Black.

THE PAWN

We come now to the last piece, the Pawn, often—but

mistakenly—called the lowly pawn. In all sets, no mat­
ter what their origin, no matter how radical their de­
sign, the Pawn is the smallest piece on the board. As
though to make up for stature, though, there are more
of them than of any other piece. The Pawn is at the
bottom of the power ladder but he can and often does
hold the big guns at bay. And, he can be the decisive
factor in a game. The symbol for the White Pawn is
and for the Black Pawn The abbreviation is P.

How the Board Is Set Up

Having learned what the board and pieces look like
you can now get the forces set up. Remember to place
your chessboard so that a white square is at the lower
right-hand corner.
Put one White Rook (use the White pieces only for
the time being; we’ll get to the Black shortly) on the
lower right-hand square and the other White Rook in
the dark square at the lower left. Now, on the same
rank (horizontal row), place a Knight next to each
Rook, then a Bishop next to each Knight.
Only the two center squares of the bottom rank
should now be unoccupied; these are for the King and
Queen. The Queen always stands, at the start of the
game, on a square of her own color. Thus, the White
Queen should be placed on the left-hand center square.
The King stands next to her.
20
 The principal pieces now fill the bottom rank. The
Pawns come next. Set them up on the rank immedi­
ately in front of the principal pieces, one Pawn in front
of each piece. This completes the starting line-up for
White.
Now turn your board around (or walk around to
the other side of the board if you enjoy that split­
personality feeling of playing both sides) and set up
the Black pieces. They are arranged precisely the way
the White pieces are—Rooks occupying end squares,
Knights next and then Bishops. Notice, however, that
because the Queen always starts life on a square of her
own color she will, from Black’s point of view, stand
on the right-hand center square.
And notice, too, that as a result King faces King and
Queen faces Queen across the board.
Your board is now set up for the start of a game.
For a picture of how it should look, see page 13.

Using the symbols for board and men, the starting

position looks like this:

Everything is ready. But the action can’t begin (un­

less you care to make it poker, using the pieces for
chips) until you learn how the pieces move, how they
capture, how powerful each is and what each one’s
weakness may be.
How the Pieces Move and Capture
THE ROOK
Clear your board of all pieces. Now take a White Rook
and put it in the following position on the board:

The Rook moves in straight lines, along the ranks

and files, as indicated by the arrows in the diagram. As
long as his path is unobstructed there is nothing to stop
him except the edge of the board. Any enemy piece
within his range can be captured. The piece that is
captured is removed from the board and the capturing
piece takes its place. To illustrate the Rook’s powers
of capturing, let’s add some pieces to the board.

The Rook can capture the Black Oueen, who is

22
within his range on a file. The Black pawn lies along
the Rook’s rank, but it cannot be captured because the
White Bishop blocks the way. The Rook cannot jump
over any piece, his own or the enemy’s. Thus, the
Black Bishop is safe. But the Black Knight may be cap­
tured. Note that word “may." Capture is not compulsory.
If the Rook were to capture the Queen, the board
would look like this:

Notice that the Black Queen has disappeared from

the board and the White Rook has taken her place.
Clear your board again and put a Rook down on
any square. Now count the number of squares swept
by the Rook’s lines of fire along ranks and files. Not
counting the square on which he stands, the Rook
commands 14 squares. Now change the Rook’s posi­
tion. He still commands 14 squares.
This is one of the Rook’s great powers; he always
commands 14 squares, no matter where he stands. Of
course, if he is blocked by his own men his great range
of fire does him no good. And this is his big weakness;
he can be all-too easily hemmed in by his own allies.
He needs open lines along which to exert his strength.

THE BISHOP
Clear your board again and, this time, put a White
23
Bishop on it as shown below:

The Bishop, as you see, moves along diagonals and

is confined to squares of one color. It can command as
many as 13 squares, but as few as 7 (try putting the
Bishop where the lower left-hand arrowhead is in the
diagram; you will see that the Bishop’s range has been
cut down to 7 squares). Like the Rook, it can capture
any enemy piece that stands in its line of fire. And,
like the Rook, it cannot jump over any pieces.
Let’s add a few pieces to the board to see how the
Bishop captures:

Two Black pieces can be captured—the Bishop and

the Pawn. The Rook is safe because the Black Pawn
blocks him from the Bishop’s line of fire; the Knight is
24
immune because one of the Bishop’s own Pawns ob­
structs it. The Black Queen is out of the Bishop’s
range.
Once more, let’s see what the board would look like
if a capture were made. The White Bishop captures
the Black Bishop. The board then looks like this:

The Black Bishop is gone and the White Bishop has

taken its place. Notice that the Bishop is still in a posi­
tion to capture the Black Pawn.

THE QUEEN
This is, as you already know, your most powerful fight­
ing unit. What makes her so strong? Look at the way
she moves.

25
 She moves along the ranks and files as well as along
the diagonals—combining the powers of Rook and
Bishop. She commands a total of 27 squares in this
position. And any enemy pieces that stumble into her
far-sweeping line of fire can be captured. Let’s take a
look at how the Queen captures.

The Queen can capture either of the Black Knights;

one lies in her range along a diagonal, the other on a
rank. She can capture the Bishop, which is in her line
of fire on a file. And she can capture one of the Black
Rooks along a diagonal. The Black Pawn is saved be­
cause the Black Knight blocks the way. The second
Black Rook is safe because the Queen’s own Pawn
stands in the way. (The Queen, despite her mighty
power, cannot jump over pieces.)
of v/omen) is her strength. She is so valuable that she
can easily be harried by lesser pieces. No player would
want to give up his Queen in return for a Bishop or a
Rook. So, when the Queen is attacked by a lesser piece
that is protected she cannot afford to capture the at­
tacker. She must beat an ignoble retreat.
26
 THE KNIGHT
The Knight is known in German as der Springer—the
jumper or vaulter. This is because the Knight, unlike
other pieces, has the power to jump over his own and
enemy pieces. He does not jump in the sense that a
checker piece does; that is, he does not capture what
he jumps over. He captures the piece that occupies the
square on which he lands. He is a great one for oper­
ating in close quarters; he can literally leap into the
middle'of things and, if the going gets too rough, leap
right out again. Let’s examine the way the Knight
moves:

(a) (c) (d)

rank or file, then one square along a diagonal. This

gives him eight ways to move: right and up (a); right
and down (b); left and down (c); left and up (d); up
and right (e); up and left (f); down and right (g),
and down and left (h):
In the following position the Knight can capture any
of the Black pieces by moving to the square occupied
by that piece:
27
 Notice that in the preceding diagram the Knight has a
choice of eight different captures, corresponding to the
eight squares to which he can move. When the Knight
captures he, too, replaces the captured piece.
THE PAWN
The Pawn is the foot-soldier of the chess army. Like
any soldier, he plods slowly along while the cavalry
and artillery charge ahead on wheels and the generals
move overhead in jets. He is limited to moving straight
ahead (not being allowed to retreat), except when he
encounters the enemy. And, except for his first move,
he can travel only one square at a time.
On his first move—and then only—he is permitted
the option of moving two squares forward. In the fol­
lowing diagram, for example, the White King’s Pawn,
on his first move, can go to either A or B.

28
 The Pawn, unlike the other pieces, does not capture
the same way he moves. Though he moves straight
ahead, he captures diagonally. In the following dia­
gram, then, the White pawn can capture either the
Black Rook or the Black Pawn. It would, of course,
take the place of whichever piece it captured.

Though the Pawn’s lot seems a weary one, the end

of its journey can mean glory. If it reaches its last rank
—the one on which the enemy’s principal pieces stood
at the start of the game—it becomes a Knight, a
Bishop, a Rook or even a Queen. For this reason
games are often decided by the loss of a single Pawn.
And for this reason, too, the “lowly” Pawn has the
power to throw the generals of the opposing army into
confusion.
THE KING
We have saved the King for last because he is, after
all, the heart and soul of chess. You can lose every
other piece you have and still play on (for a while,
anyhow). You cannot lose your King. (He cannot, in
fact, be captured, but more about that later.)
The King can move in any direction, along a rank,
file or diagonal, forward or backward. But he can
29
move omy one square at a time, except under special
circumstances, which we will discuss soon. He can
capture any piece within his range. But—and this is a
big “but”—he cannot move into the line of fire of any
enemy piece.
In the following diagram the King can move to any
of the squares numbered 1 to 8. If an enemy piece oc­
cupied one of those squares the King could capture it
and take its place—provided that in doing so he did
not move into the range of any enemy piece.

Now, keeping the White King in the same position,

let’s add some Black pieces to the board.

Now the King cannot move to square 1 because he

would be moving into a position where the Black Pawn
30
or Black Rook could capture him. That square is con­
trolled by the Rook and Pawn and the King cannot
move to a square controlled by the enemy. Square 2 is
controlled by the Black Knight. Squares 3, 4 and 5 are
controlled by the Black Queen. Squares 5, 6, 7 and 8
are controlled by the Black Rook.
Is the King immobilized? No—he can capture the
Black Rook. If he did so, the board would look like
this:

The King has replaced the Rook and he is not in the

line of fire of any Black pieces.

Putting the King in Check

A king under attack by an enemy piece is said to be
“in check.” If the King is attacked everything must be
subordinated to the job of getting the King out of
check; no moves, can be made by the attacked King’s
side until the King’s safety is attended to. There are
three ways in which the King can be gotten out of
check. These are:
1. By moving the King to a square not controlled by
a hostile piece.
2. By placing one of the King’s men between the at­
tacking piece and the King, thus blocking the
31
 hostile’s piece’s line of fire.
3. By capturing the attacking piece.
Let’s examine those three ways.

In the diagram above the Black King is attacked by

the White Bishop. Can he or one of his men capture the
Bishop? No. Can a Black piece be moved between
the Bishop and the King to shield the King? No. But
the King is not doomed. He can move to a square that
is not under attack—the squares marked with X’s. He
cannot, of course, move to the back rank because
that rank is in the White Queen’s line of fire. And
moving along the diagonal to the square marked with
a cross is futile (as well as illegal) because that square
is controlled by the attacking White Bishop.
Here is another position.

32
 The White King is attacked by one of the Black
Rooks. The possible escape squares are occupied by
the King’s own men—he cannot flee to them. The
squares marked with X’s are controlled by the second
Black Rook. And there is no White piece capable of
placing itself between the attacking Rook and the King.
But White’s Bishop can save its King by capturing the
attacking Rook.
And a third example.

The King is attacked by the Black Rook. The two

escape squares are occupied, one by the White Bishop,
one by the White Pawn. There is no way to capture
the Rook. But the King can be saved by interposing—
by moving a man between himself and the attacking
piece. The Pawn, of course, able to move forward only,
is of no use. But the Bishop can be moved to the
square marked X, shielding the King from the Rook.
When the King is attacked by a Pawn or a Knight
there can be no interposing, of course. In the case of
such an attack the King can be saved only through the
capture of the attacking piece or by moving out of the
attacking piece’s range.
33
Long Live the King
When the King is attacked and it is impossible to get
him out of check the game is over. The King has been
“checkmated” and his side has lost. (The word “check­
mate,” like the word Rook, comes from the Persian. It
is derived from “Shah Mat,” which means “the King is
dead.”)
In the following position, for example, the White
King is attacked by the Black Queen. He cannot move
to another point on the bottom rank because that en­
tire rank is swept by the Black Queen’s line of fire. He
cannot flee diagonally to the possible escape squares on
the rank above because those squares are occupied by
his own Pawns. And he cannot move to the White
square directly above him because he would still
be in check—this time by the Black Bishop. There
is no way to interpose a White piece between the
King and the attacking Queen. And the Queen cannot
be captured.

Thus the King has no way out of check. He has not

been captured—that is, he has not been removed from
the board—but he has no way to avoid capture on
Black’s theoretical next move. The move remains the­
oretical because the game ends at this uoint.
34
The Special Powers
The last moves to be considered are the “special cir­
cumstance” powers referred to briefly earlier. One of
those special powers involves Pawns, the other involves
the King and Rooks. First, the Pawn’s specialty.

PAWN CAPTURES EN PASSANT

A Pawn, you remember, has the option, on his first
move only, of going forward two squares instead of
one. And Pawns, remember, capture on a diagonal in­
stead of capturing the way they move. With this in
mind, look at the following diagram:

White Pawn is standing on home base, on the rank

just in front of the principal White pieces. If the White
Pawn moves forward one square on his first move the
position will be as it is in box (b); the Black Pawn
would then be able to capture it and the result would
be (c). If, however, the White Pawn moves two
squares on his first move the position will be as it is in
(d) and the Black Pawn will have been deprived of a
possible capture.
The Black Pawn (as any Pawn in similar circum­
stances), however, has a special prerogative. He can
treat the White Pawn as though it had moved only one
square forward and he will then be able to capture it.
The result, of course, is the same (e) as when the
35
White Pawn actually moved only one square and was
captured (c).
This power is called capturing en passant (French:
in passing). The power, however, must be exercised by
the capturing side on its very next move following the
two-squares-forward Pawn move. If the capture is not
made then the pawn positions as shown in (d) stand
and the privilege of capturing that Pawn en passant
(abbreviation, e.p.) has been forfeited.

CASTLING
The special-circumstance power involving King and
Rooks is called castling. When a player makes this
move, he castles (remember? we said the casual play­
er’s use of this word could be confusing).
Because the King’s safety is of prime concern it can
be dangerous to leave him in the middle of the board
on or near his original square. Once the pieces start
moving into action a King in the center can be easily
exposed to attack. He must be moved to a safer spot
(to the security of his “castle”). Basically, the castling
move is made as shown below:

The King is moved two squares toward his Rook

and the Rook goes to the square over which the King
36
passed to get to his new position. The combination
King-Rook move is counted as one move (it is the
only time in the game a player is permitted to move
two nieces at once). The diagram above shows the
King castling on his own side of the board. He can
also castle on the Queen’s side, as follows:

Once again the King has moved two squares toward

a Rook (this time toward the Queen Rook) and the
Rook has moved to the square through which the King
passed. This is called Queen-side castling, or castling
long. King-side castling is also called castling short.
It may have occurred to you that castling is a great
way to get out of check. Alas, you’ll have to forget it
(unless, like some players, you make your own rules to
suit your convenience); it is illegal to castle when the
King is in check. There are some other provisos, too.
You cannot castle if:
1. The King or the Rook has been moved before.
(If only the King Rook has been moved it is still
legal to castle on the Queen’s side with the Queen
Rook. Likewise, if only the Queen Rook has
been moved it is legal to castle on the King side.)
2. One or more squares between the King and Rook
are occupied by pieces of either color. (If a
37
 square between the King and Queen Rook is oc­
cupied it is legal to castle King-side.)
3. The King, in castling, has to pass through a
square controlled by an enemy man. (Naturally
he could not castle if the square he ended on was
under attack; he would then be moving into
check which, remember, is illegal.)
Let’s examine castling more closely. Look at this
position:

In the preceding diagram the White King can not

castle on his Queen’s side because the squares between
him and the Queen Rook are not clear; the White
Knight occupies its home square. He cannot castle King-
side, either, because in doing so he would have to pass
through a square which is in the Black Queen’s line of
fire. Thus the White King, in this position, cannot
castle.
The Black King cannot castle King-side because his
own Bishop is in the way. But there is nothing to stop
him from castling long.

38
NOTATION
The basic principles of descriptive notation—the
system most commonly used, despite its drawbacks—
were known and used as far back as the Tenth Cen­
tury. It was only in the last hundred years, however,
that abbreviations came to be used and standardized.
And abbreviations are the keystones of notation. Let’s
see how it works.

Set up your pieces for the start of a game. Notice

that, because King faces King and Queen faces Queen,
an imaginary line can be drawn down the center of the
board, separating the King and his pieces from the
Queen and her forces. Reading across the bottom rank
from the Queen’s side to the King’s we have the follow­
ing lineup:
Queen Rook (abbreviated QR), Queen Knight
(QN), Queen Bishop (QB), Queen (Q), King (K),
King Bishop (KB), King Knight (KN) and King
Rook (KR).
The Pawns are named for the pieces that stand be­
hind them. Thus, reading along the second rank, again
from the Queen’s side to the King’s, we have the
Queen Rook Pawn (QRP), Queen Knight Pawn
(QNP), Queen Bishop Pawn (QBP), Queen Pawn
(QP), King Pawn (KP), King Bishop Pawn (KBP),
King Knight Pawn (KNP) and King Rook Pawn
(KRP).
The files, too, are named for the pieces that initially
occupy them. White’s extreme right-hand file, then, is
39
the King Rook (KR) file. This is also Black’s KR file,
though it is, of course, on Black’s extreme left-hand
side. White’s extreme left-hand file is the QR file; it is
also Black’s QR file, though Black—again—sees it as
his extreme right-hand file.
The files, as you see, have the same names from
both the Black and White points of view. The ranks,
however, do not. White’s first rank is Black’s eighth
and vice-versa. Suppose, for example, that you want to
describe the following squares:

We know that square A lies on the Queen Bishop

file for both White and Black. From White’s point of
view (by custom, White is always at the bottom of a
printed diagram) the square is four ranks from the
bottom. For White, then, square A is Queen Bishop 4
(abbreviated QB4). From Black’s point of view, how­
ever, it is five ranks from the bottom (to see thismore
clearly, turn the diagram around). And thus square A
is Black’s Queen Bishop 5, or QB5.
Square B is on the King file for both White and
Black. Looked at from White’s side, it is three ranks
from the bottom, making it K3. Looked at from
Black’s side, it is six rows up, making it K6.
40
 Square C is on White’s last, or eighth, rank and
therefore is White’s KR8. But it is on Black’s first
rank, making it Black’s KR1.
You see, then, that every square on the board has
two designations, one for White and one for Black.
The board, with each square given its two designations,
looks like this:
BLACK
LBO LN© 18© I© L>l 1BX INX Hi
QR8 ON8 QB8 Q8 K8 KB8 KN8 KR8
IW> ZN© ta© ZD tX tax INX tax
QR7 QN7 QB7 Q7 !|® KB7 KN7 KR7
SB© £N© £8© C© EX CBX ENX tax
QR6 QN6 QB6 06 K6 KB6 KN6 KR6
no 9ND 98© 9© 9X 98X 9NX tax
QR5 QN5 QB5 Q5 lO KB5 KN5 KR5
SB© SN© SB© Mi SX sax SNX sax
QR4 QN4 QB4 04 K4 KB4 KN4 KR4
9m© 9N© 98© 9© 9M 9ax 9NX 9ax
OR3 QN3 QB3 Q3 m KB3 KN3 KR3
ZB© ZN© ZB© Z© zx zax ZNX zax
QR2 ON2 QB2 02 K2 KB2 KN2 KR2
MH 8N© MH 8© SX sax SNX sax
OR! QN1 OBI QI KI KB1 KN! KR1
WHITE
The bottom figure in each square is the White desig­
nation; the top figure (which should be looked at “up­
side-down,” from Black’s point of view) is Black’s.
This is one of the principal drawbacks of descriptive
notation.
41
You now know the symbols for the pieces and for the
squares. There remain only a few more basic abbrevi­
ations, the most important of which are the following:
The symbol — means “is moved to.” Thus P—K4
means “Pawn is moved to the square King 4” or, more
simply. Pawn to King 4.
The symbol X means “captures.” Thus BxN means
“Bishop captures Knight.”
The symbol 0-0 means castles King side.
The symbol 0-0-0 means castles Queen side.
The abbreviation ch means “check.”
The abbreviation NxP ch, therefore, would mean
“Knight captures Pawn and gives check.”
The double designation for each square is not, alas,
the only weakness of the descriptive notation system.
Because each side has eight pawns, two Knights, two
Bishops and two Rooks, a move can be, if the notation
is not done carefully, ambiguous or misleading. In the
following diagram, for example, the move B—N5 for
White can be interpreted two ways: it can mean QB to
KN5 or KB to QN5.

If we want to make the move clear, we must specify

which Bishop is doing the moving. If we want to move
the King Bishoo to QN5 we would notate the move as
42
B—QN5 or as KB—N5. It is not necessary to write
KB—QN5 because once we specify either the piece or
the square to which it goes we have made the move
clear. We want clarity, not complexity.
Now look at the following diagram.

The only difference between this position and the

one in the previous diagram is that now Black’s QP is
at Q3 instead of Q2, his KP is at K4 instead of K3 and
his KB is at KB1 instead of at K2. But what a differ­
ence! Now if we see B—N5 for White it can mean only
one thing: Bishop to King Knight 5.
Why? Because Bishop to Queen Knight 5 would
check the Black King and the move would be written
B—N5 ch. The abbreviation ch—or the lack of it—
makes the move clear. Only the QB can move to N5
without giving check.
Sometimes, as you see, moves can be written quite
simply. An even better example is the move P—K4. At
first thought you might be tempted to ask “which Pawn
moves to K4?” But set up your board for the start of
a game and notice: only one Pawn—the KP—can
move to K4. Therefore it’s not necessary to spell out
the whole move. P—K4 speaks for itself.
Now set up your board in the following position:
43
 Suppose you, as Black, want to move a Knight to
KB5. You cannot write N—B5 or even N—KB5, be­
cause both Knights are in a position to move to KB5.
You must specify which Knight is to make the move.
One Knight is at KN3, the other at Q4. To clarify your
move you must specify which of the two Knights
makes the move. If you move the Knight from KN3 to
KB5 you notate it as N/3—B5; if you move the Knight
at Queen 4 the move becomes N/4—B5. Notice that
you don’t have to specify King B5, because it would
be impossible to move either Knight to Queen B5.
Again, the object is to keep it as simple as possible.
Let’s alter the positions again, to the following:

44
 Now if you, as Black, want to move a Knight to K4,
you must be even more specific than in' the previous
example. Last time, you got away with N/3 or N/4 as
identifications. This time both Knights are on the third
rank; therefore N/3 could be either one. The Knight
that moves must now be identified either fully (as
N/N3) or by his file (as N/N). Moving the Knight at
N3 to K4, then, would be written as N/N3—K4 or as
N/N—K4. Moving the Knight at QB3 to K4 would bd
written as N/B3—K4 or N/B—K4.
In the following diagram both Black Knights are in
a position to capture a White Bishop. If, therefore, we
wrote NxB for Black, the move would be ambiguous.
Which Knight? And which Bishop? Here, again, clarifi­
cation is needed.

If Black captures a Bishop with his Knight at KN3

the move is written as N/KN3XB. (Notice that
N/N3XB will not do because both Knights are at N3
—one at KN3, one at QN3.) If the capture is made
with the Knight at QN3 the move is written N/QN3XB.
Sometimes the piece that is captured, instead of the
capturing piece, needs further identification. Look at
the following diagram.
45
 Playing Black, you capture a Pawn with a Knight.
In writing the move, you must make clear which
Knight captures which Pawn. The Knight at QN3 can
capture the Pawn at QR5 or the one at QB5; the
Knight at KN3 can capture the Pawn at K4 or the one
at KR5. Thus, if the Knight at QN3 captures the Pawn
at QR5 the move is written as NxQRP or NXP/QR5
(Notice—you don’t have to specify which Knight
makes the capture; only one of the Knights can capture
the Queen Rook Pawn. You do, however, have to
specify that the captured pawn is the QR Pawn; if you
wrote simply NxRP it could mean NxKRP, too.)
The object of descriptive notation, then, is to make
each move as clear as possible with as few complica­
tions as possible. For a while—until you get used to
the system—this may seem like trying to make Aris­
totle look as easy as McGuffey’s Reader. With a little
practice, though, you’ll find that descriptive notation,
despite its drawbacks, is really quite capable of doing
its job.
Before notating a move, consider:

(a) Are there two similar pieces that can make the
same move?
(b) Are there two similar pieces that can be cap­
tured by one piece?
46
 (c) Are there two pieces that could possibly be con­
fused with each ofther?
If the answer to any of those questions is yes you
will have to notate the move with care to avoid am­
biguity.

The Algebraic System.

Now that you know how descriptive notation works
you can take a look at a system that’s a lot more ef­
ficient and many times simpler. This is the algebraic
system, and you are likely to encounter it only in
records of international chess tournaments—maybe. It
is as understandable to a Russian or a Greek as it is
to an American or an Englishman. And, like many
really good things, it is having a hard time becoming
accepted. For this reason—and this reason only—this
book uses descriptive notation. We could become cru­
saders for the algebraic system, but where would that
leave you? Almost any chess book or periodical you
pick up will be written in descriptive notation.
Under algebraic notation the ranks of a chessboard
are numbered from 1 to 8, as they are in descriptive
notation, but the files are designated by letters, a to h.
The board looks like this:

abcdefgh
47
 Thus any square is designated by a combination
letter-number. White’s QN5, for example, is b5. Black’s
QN4 is b5, too. A move is recorded simply as a start­
ing square and a finishing square—the square from
which the piece moves and die square on which it
lands. Thus, in the following diagram, the White move
N/QN3—Q4 is written as b3—d4. No further clarifica­
tion is needed.

The opening move P—K4 is written simply d4 (no

ambiguity here—there is only one piece on the board
that can move to K4 at the start of a game). Even
captures are designated in this simple way.
If you think algebraic notation is the answer to the
chessplayer’s prayers you are free to use it. You are
also free to try to convince other chess players, book
and magazine publishers and authors to try to use it
And good luck to you.

48
 IDEAS ABOUT THE END GAME

1. King and Pawn v King

(a) A SIMPLE TECHNIQUE

The smallest material advantage you can have is one Pawn

more than your opponent. If this is reduced in the end game
to a contest of King and Pawn v King, the chances of winning
depend on whether the Pawn can be promoted.
In diagram 60 the winning method is made quite clear:

(i) With White to move, the

s
player with the Pawn wins by
i
6 1 d7-d8 = Q or R#
5
(ii) With Black to move, the
4
win is also quite simple to
3 bring about.
2
1 ... Kb8-a8
abcdefgh 2 d7-d8 = Q or R#
(i) White to play
(ii) Black to play

In diagram 61 the problem of promoting the Pawn requires a

little more thought. ..Firstly the white King must gain control
of the queening square c8.
49
 61
(i) With White to move the
following method wins:
1 Kc6-d6 Kc8-d8
2 c5-c6 Kd8-c8
3 c6-c7 Kc8-b7
4 Kd6-d7 K moves
5 c7-c8 = Q
and wins
(ii) With Black to move the
(i) White to play method is even more simple:
(ii) Black to play
1 ... Kc8-d8; 2 Kc6-b7! The white King now controls
all the squares on the Pawn’s route to the queening square,
i.e. c6, c7 and c8. 2 ... Kd8-d7; 3 c5-c6+, Kd7-d8; 4
c6-c7+, Kd8-d7; 5 c7-c8 = Q+ and wins.
Similarly after 1__ Kc8-b8; 2 Kc6-d7, Kb8-b7; 3c5-c6+,
Kb7-b8; 4 c6-c7+, Kb8-b7; 5 c7-c8 = Q 4- and wins.

(b) THE SPECIAL CASE OF THE ROOK’S PAWN

An interesting fact is that a Rook’s Pawn cannot be promoted

if the defending King occupies the%ieening square. A Rook’s
Pawn is one on either file a or h.
62 Thus in diagram 62 after:
1 ... Ka8-b8
2 Ka6-b6 Kb8-a8
3 a5-a6 Ka8-b8
4 a6-a7 Kb8-a8
5 Kb6-a6
Stalemate! Draw.
or
5 Kb6-a5, Kb8xa7
b5 or c6 and draws
A similar result arises if
White plays first.
50
 In the position in diagram 63 the draw is arrived at by pre­
venting the white King from clearing file a for the Pawn’s path.

Thus after:
1 Ka8-a7 Kc8-c7
2 Ka7-a8 Kc7-c8,
etc.
or
1 a6-a7 Kc8-c7!
Stalemate.
Similar results are brought
about with Black to move first.

(c) LEARNING TO COUNT

The position in diagram 64 illustrates a frequent end game

situation, where the problem of promoting the Pawn is a matter
of counting the number of moves to the queening square. In
such a situation there are a number of reliable ways of deciding
if a Pawn may queen safely, and the following method is
recommended.
The Pawn may reach the queening square a8 in three moves:
a6, a7 and a8. The black King would take four moves, e.g.
one possible route would be: d6, c7, b7 and a8

(i) Thus after White plays:

1 a5-a6 Ke5-d6
2 a6-a7 Kd6-c7
3 a7-a8 = Q
The black King would still be on c7.
51
 64
From such a series of moves,
and with no other pieces con­
cerned, the following counting
method can be suggested:
With a Pawn to move, it
queens safely if it succeeds in
reaching the queening square
infewer moves than the opposing
King.
(i) White to play
(ii) Black to play

(ii) Now consider the same position in diagram 64, but with
Black to move. After 1 ... Ke5-d6 it would be the Pawn’s
turn to move, and now the rule applies as before. The Pawn
still needs only three moves to reach the queening square, but
the black King only three moves as well.
Since the Pawn is not able to queen in fewer moves it is lost.
1 ... Ke5-d6 * 3 a6-a7 Kc7-b7
2 a5-a6 Kd6-c7 4 a7-a8=Q+ Kb7xa8

2. King and Two Pawns v King

(a) WIDELY SEPARATED PAWNS

In diagram 65 a position is shown in which White wins

because the black King cannot divide its attention successfully
between the two white Pawns. Black would draw if there was
no white Pawn on e4. Check this with the counting method.
However, in the position shown White wins by:
1 a4-a5 Kd4xe4
and the white Pawn requires a further three moves to queen,
while the black King needs four moves to reach a8. The
counting method confirms that the Pawn queens safely.
52
 Alternatively, Black may try
65 a different defence.
1 a4-a5 Kd4-c5 .
2 a5-a6 Kc5-b6
3 e4-e5! Kb6xa6
In which case the Pawn on
e5 queens without being cap­
tured. By-the counting method
the Pawn has three moves
from e5 to e8, whilst the black
abcdefgh King on square a6 requires
White to play four moves, and thus fails to
stop the Pawn.
Note that after 1 a4-a5, Kd4-c5; 2 a5-a6, Kc5-b6 White
would make a mistake to play 3 a6~a7 ? for after 3 ... Kb6 X a7
the remaining Pawn is now only on square e4, and requires
four moves to queen. The opposing King captures it in the same
number of moves.
The key move then was 3 e4-e5 which stretched the black
King’s attention beyond the limit.
What is White’s winning method in position in diagram 66 ?
If
66 1 a4-a5 e6xf5+
2 Ke4xf5 Kd7-c7
3 a5-a6 Kc7-b6
And Black draws.
Similarly Black draws if :
1 Ke4-e5 e6xf5
2 a4-a5 Kd7-<7,
etc.
Also if
1 f5xe6+ Kd7xe6
White to play 2 a4-a5 or
Ke4~d4
53
 And Black has time to move his King across to a8, reaching
a drawn position similar to diagram 62.
White’s winning method is to rely on a similar situation to
that shown in the previous example—diagram 65, and to play:
1 f5-f6!
Black is now unable to attend to both queening threats from
the white Pawns on a4 and f6.
If the black King is moved across to capture the Pawn on.
file f, he goes out of range of the Pawn on a4. Similarly if he
attends to the Pawn on a4 first, the other Pawn queens safely.
Widely separated Pawns can stretch the defending King's
efforts beyond the limit.

(b) SELF-SUPPORTING PAWNS

In the position in diagram 67 the two white Pawns appear

to be at the mercy of the black King. Yet if the Pawns stand
firm, and wait for the white King to move across, at least one
of the Pawns will queen.
For if
1 ... Ke6xe5?
This allows White’s other
Pawn to escape to the queen­
ing square.
2 d6-d7 Ke5-e6
3 d7-d8 = Q
Black may instead just re­
main on guard moving back­
wards and forwards on d7 and
e6. In this case White will
bring his King across in order
to shepherd the Pawns to the
8th rank.
54
 For example, in diagram 68
68 the white King has reached
the Pawns.
1 Kf4-g5 Ke6-d7
2 Kg5-f6
And now the black King
has no adequate defence. One
possible winning variation for
White would be:
2 ... Kd7-e8
abcdef gh
3 e5-e6 Ke8-d8
White to play 4 Kf6-f7 Kd8-c8
5 e6-e7
And queens next move.
When two Pawns are on neighbouring files, one supporting the
other, the supporting Pawn cannot be captured safely by the
enemy King.

3. King and Two Pawns v King and Pawn

(a) WITH ONE OF THE TWO PAWNS A ‘PASSED’ PAWN

You will remember that a passed Pawn is one which on

route to its queening square is not blocked by an enemy Pawn
on its file, nor has to cross a square attackedl>y an enemy Pawn
on an adjoining file.
In diagram 69 is a similar position to that shown in diagram
68, but with Black having a Pawn blocking White’s supporting
Pawn. As illustrated in the previous example, White’s strength
lies in this supporting Pawn on d4. Black’s difficulty is that he
can only defend his Pawn with his King from two squares—
c6 and e6—and White is aj>le to prevent him from using these
defensive squares.
(i) With White to move, Black has no time to occupy e6,
and can only defend his Pawn from c6. White’s task is quite
straightforward.
55
 1 Ke3-f4 Kc6-d7
2 Kf4-e5
Attacking Black’s Pawn.
2 ... Kd7-c6
3 Ke5-e6
Still attacking the Pawn, and
now Black’s King has to move
away from its defence.
After
3 ... Kc6-c7
(i) White to play or b7
(ii) Black to play 4 Ke6xd5

And White should have no difficulty in promoting one of

his Pawns.
(ii) In diagram 69 with Black to move, the winning method is
a little longer, as in this case Black has time to occupy square
e6 with his King. For the time being this denies White entry
on to this square.

1 ... Kc6-d7 5 Kf5-e5 Kd7-c6

2 Ke3-f4 Kd7-e6
The same position as that
But White can force Black’s reached in (i) above.
King away.
6 Ke5-e6
3 Kf4-g5! Ke6-e7
4 Kg5-f5 Ke7-d7 And White wins as before.

(b) WITH NEITHER PAWN PASSED

In the position in diagram 70, White’s extra Pawn is not a

passed Pawn. White has to play most carefully to avoid a draw.
56
 Here are three of these (ii) If
drawing possibilities: 1 f5-f6 Kf8-g8
70 And then
2 Ke6-e7 g7xf6
3 Ke7xf6 Kg8-f8
Reaching the same position
as that after Black’s 4th move
in variation (i) above. Thus
Black manages to draw.
(iii) If
abcdefgh
1 f5-f6 Kf8-g8
White to play And then
(i) If
2 f6-f7+ Kg8-f8
1 f5-f6 Kf8-g8
3 Ke6-d6 or
2 f6xg7 Kg8xg7
d7
3 Ke6-f5
gives stalemate, and White’s
To defend the remaining
only other choice is to move
Pawn. But Black has the
back to rank 5 on to square
opposition, and with White’s
d5, e5 or f5. This allows Black
King not in front of his Pawn
to move out with ... Kf8-e7,
a draw results.
and draw by moving back and
3 ... Kg7-g8 forth from e7 to f8.
4 Kf5-f6 Kg8-f8 Black must not reply to
5 g6-g7 + Kf8-g8 1 f5-f6 with 1 ... g7xg6;
And next move White must for 2 Ke6xf6, Kf8-g8; 3
give stalemate by 6 Kf6-g6, g6-g7, Kg8-h7; 4 Kf6-f7 and
or give up his Pawn. wins.

White’s winning method requires three steps, to be achieved,

in the following order:
Step 1 Move the white King to a square ready to occupy
square f7.
57
 Step 2 Dislodge Black’s blocking Pawn with the move
f5-f6.
Step 3 Occupy square f7 with the white King.
White is then in a position to escort his remaining Pawn home
to its queening square, with mate to follow.
Here are the moves—starting from diagram 70:
1 Ke6-d7 Kf8-g8 4 Ke7-f7
2 Kd7-e7 Kg8-h8 Step 3 completes the win­
Step 1 achieved. Not too ning method. Although the
hasty here though, for 3 Ke7- alternative 4 Ke7xf6 also
f7 stalemates the black King. wins, the variation that follows
is quicker, and therefore more
3 f5-f6 g7xf6 efficient.
Step 2 achieved. For if 4 ... f6-f5
instead 3 ... Kh8-g8; 4 5 g6-g7+ Kh8-h7
f6-f7+, Kg8-h8; 5 f7-f8 6 g7-g8 = Q+ Kh7-h6
= Q#! 7 Qg8-g6#

4. Rook and Pawn v Rook

(a) WITH SUPPORTING ROOK BEHIND THE PAWN

Diagram 71 illustrates the best situation for shepherding a

passed Pawn—with a supporting Rook behind it. The Pawn
may safely advance to its queening square.
71

1 h7-h8 = Q Ra8xh8
2 Rhlxh8
And an easy win for White;
King and Rook v King.

abcdefgh
White to play
58
 The position illustrated in diagram 72 is slightly more
difficult, showing a black Rook blocking the way of the Pawn.
By attacking the black Rook with the white,King, and driving
it away, the Pawn will queen.
72

1 Kf6-g7 Rh8-a8
2 b7-h8 = Q
And a simple win follows.

abcdefgh
White to play

(b) WITH SUPPORTING ROOK IN FRONT OF THE PAWN

Diagram 73 illustrates another situation, but with the sup­

porting Rook in front of the Pawn. To move the white Rook
away would allow Black to capture the Pawn with his Rook.
But White has a neat idea!
73

For after:
1 Rh8-a8! Rh2xh7
2 Ra8-a7+ Kc7-b6
3 Ra7xh7
And wins!

abcdefgh
White to play

Note that this winning method would not be possible if the

black King was on b7, i.e. in contact with square a8.
59
 The method relied on the following facts—the black King
was not in contact with square a8, it was separated from L
white Pawn and occupied a square on the same rank as the
white Pawn.
But in diagram 74 the move 1 Rh8-a8 does not work, for
after 1 ... Rh2 x h7 there is no check of the black King,
compelling it to move and exposing the black Rook to capture.
Yet there is another winning method for White.
74 1 Rh8-c8+!
The check delays Black just
that one move necessary to
prevent him from capturing
the Pawn with his Rook. Thus
after:
1 ... Kc6-d7
2 h7-h8 = Q
And after 2 ... Rh2 x h8;
abcdefgh 3 Rc8xh8, White wins easily.
White to play
There are very many different situations with Rooks and
Pawns in the end game, requiring a special plan to deal with
each one of them. As your experience grows you will be able to
examine and understand more difficult positions.

5. Bishop and Pawn v Bishop

(a) WITH THE DEFENDING KING IN FRONT OF THE
PAWN
Diagram 75 illustrates the ideal situation for the defending
side to bring about a draw. The defending black King is occupy­
ing a square of opposite colour to that used by the opposing
Bishop, and also this King stands in front of the Pawn.
Thus the white Bishop, operating solely on white squares,
is unable to give check to the defending King; All that Black
needs to do is move his Bishop to a safe square each move,
leaving his King on d8, from which it cannot be shifted.
60
 75

For example:
1 Bg4-f5 Ba4-b3
2 Kc5-b6 Bb3-c4
or d5
And so on! Black draws.

(b) WITH THE DEFENDING KING UNABLE TO OCCUPY A

SQUARE IN FRONT OF THE PAWN

In diagram 76 it is clear the black King has no chance of

occupying square d8 in front of the white Pawn. However,
playing 1 d6-d7 does not win for White, because Black can
always give up his Bishop for the Pawn and draw. King and
Bishop is not a sufficient force with which to mate a lone King.
Thus Black could reply 1 ... Ba4 x d7 and draw.
Therefore White’s aim must be to prevent the black Bishop
from attacking square d7.

Thus the move:

1 Bg4-d7
immediately compels Black to
move his Bishop away, for
1 ... Ba4xd7; 2 Kc7xd7
loses for Black.
1 ... Ba4~dl
Now WTiite blocks his own
Pawn’s advance, and Black
has placed his Bishop so that
61
he retains the choice of two of White’s Pawn advance d6-
diagonals, both of which give d7. For example:
control of square d7—either
3 ... Bg4-h3
diagonal a4/e8 or h3/c8.
4 Bb7-c8!
2 Bd7-c6
Compelling Black to cover The white Bishop has found
d7by a safe square, other than in
2 ... Bdl-g4 front of its own Pawn, in order
3 Bc6-b7! to drive the defending black
Now Black must still retain Bishop away.
his Bishop on diagonal h3/c8, Now Black cannot prevent
because of the constant threat d6-d7, and so White wins.
In diagram 77 the difference here is that the white Bishop can
occupy square f3, and from there immediately contest control
of square d7 from c6 instead of c8, as in the previous example.

Thus play continues:

1 Bg4-f3 Ba4-b5
or e8
(or Black could make any King
move.)
2 Bf3-c6
And wins.

These are fairly simple ideas about Bishop endings. You

will meet many different kinds as you go on playing.

6. Knight and Pawn v Knight

As in the examples of Bishop and Pawn v Bishop the defending
side can always take any opportunity of giving up the minor
piece for the Pawn.
62
 Look at diagram 78. As King and Knight v King is not a
mating force, then clearly 1 d7-d8 = Q is met by 1 ... Nf7 x d8
and a draw results.
The black Knight controls the queening square from f7,
and also has e6 as an alternative.

78 Thus after:
1 Nc6-e5!
Not 1 ... Nf7xe5?; 2
d7-d8 = Q and wins.
1 ... Nf7-g5
And now if 2 d7-d8 = Q,
Ng5-e6+, forking King and
Queen, achieving a draw.
But White wins by
White to play 2 Kc7-d6!
For now White prevents the black Knight from using e6
or f7.
2 ... Ng5-e4+
3 Kd6-c6 or
e7
and wins, for whatever Black does, the Pawn queens safely.

7. Queen v Pawn
In diagram 79 the white Queen is assisted by its King in
attempting to capture the black Pawn, which has only the lone
black King to protect it.

63
 79 1 Kb6-c5
Threatening Qd7 x d4+.
1 ... d4~d3
2 Kc5-c4
A similar threat, but now
the Pawn cannot advance with­
out losing contact with the
protecting black King.
2 ... Ke4-e3
3 Qd7xd3+
And wins.
With the Pawn one move from its queening square and its
King supporting it, there are possibilities of a draw. This is
possible if the Pawn is on file a, c, f or h. But on all other files
the side with the Queen should win.
The method for winning is to drive the supporting King on to
the queening square, thus allowing time to move the attacking
King towards the area, to assist the Queen.
Diagram 80 illustrates the method.
80 1 Qd4-e4+ Ke2-f2
2 Qe4-d3
Threatening to capture the
Pawn.
2 ... Kf2-el
3 Qd3-e3+!
Forcing the black King in
front of his Pawn, for if 3 ...
Kel-fl ; 4Qe3xd2.
abcdefg'h
White to play 3 ... Kel-dl
4 Kb5-c4, Kd 1 -c2. Black again prepares to queen the Pawn;
5 Qe3-c3+, Kc2-dl or else the Pawn is lost; 6 Kc4-d3,
Kdl-el; 7 Qc3xd2+ and wins.
64
8. The Values of the Chessmen
Now that you have seen all the chessmen in action in end
game battles, you are probably beginning to have some idea of
the different strengths of the various pieces. Quite often in the
book you will come across moves where pieces are exchanged—
that is, White captures a piece, and Black replies by capturing
one of White’s pieces.
Usually a player will not wish to give up a piece in exchange
for one that is not so valuable. Sometimes, however, he may
do so, and if he does this is known as a sacrifice; A sacrifice
should only be made if you'expect to get something of equal or
more value in return. For example, you might quite happily
sacrifice your Queen, if you knew that this forced a position in
which you could checkmate your opponent a move or so
afterwards.
To give you an idea of the value of the chessmen in most
ordinary circumstances, here is a table of their worth:

Queen 9, Rook 5, Bishop 3, Knight 3, Pawn 1

The King is not listed because he is never exchanged off the

board. Queens and Rooks are known as major pieces, Knights
and Bishops as minor pieces. Remember that these values are
only a guide, and that the value of your pieces depends upon
their changing usefulness during the game. In play, a piece of
great value when strongly placed is of little or no value when
poorly placed. Moreover, your entire force is completely
without value if your opponent is able to force checkmate
next move!

9. Further End Game Situations

Here are some other kinds of end game positions that are
frequently met. Notice how in several of them the existence of
a supported passed Pawn is vitally important. Also these
65
positions show that great care is necessary in counting or work­
ing out the number of moves required to succeed in a plan.
Where examples are taken from actual games played, we give
the place and date together with the players’ names.
Bognor Regis 1964
D. V. Mardlf.

abcdefgh abcdefgh
D. Parr White to play
Black to play

1 ... Rf3-f4 Possible continuation in

Resigns position following resignation
Because if the white Rook in Tai v Botwinnik, Moscow
moves away, then 2 ... Rf4 x 1961 (8th game of World
c4+ and the white Pawn on Championship match).
h4 is also lost. 1 Rc2-c8+' . Rd8xc8
Also if 2 Rg4xf4, e5xf4 2 Ral-a8+! Kb8xa8
and then the Pawn on h4 falls. 3 d7 x c8 Ka8-a7
The white King becomes tied = Q+
down to preventing the passed
Pawn on file f from queening. And to add insult to injury!
White is compelled to make 4 Qc8-c5 +
weakening moves with his
Pawns, some of which will be Forking King and Rook,
captured. and so the black Rook falls.
Practise this position with
an opponent to see what
happens.
66
 Leningrad 1963 Moscow 1963
I. Zacharov L. Szabo

abcdefgh abcdefgh
E. Geller , P. Ke res
White to play White to play

1 Nc4-e5! Resigns . 1 Qa5-c3+ Qh7-g7

2 Re6xg6! Resigns
The power of a passed Pawn
supported by a Rook behind For Black cannot prevent
it, is well shown here. both Queens and Rooks being
With this Knight move, exchanged, and would then
White threatened 2 Ne5-d7, face no less than five Pawns
and to win material. with only a Bishop—a certain
For example, the game may loss for Black.
have continued: The game may have con­
tinued:
1 ... Bd8^7
2 Ne5-d7 Rb8-d8 2 ... Qg7xc3
3b7-b8 = Q Bc7xb8 3 Rg6xg8-F Kh8xg8
4 Rb3xb8 Rd8x b8 4 b2xc3
5 Nd7xb8
And White wins.
A clear 'kon ending for
White, with the extra piece.

67
 Enschede 1963 2 Kc3-d3 g3~g2
J. M. Aitken 3 Be4xg2 Ne3 x g2
4 Kd3-e4 Kc7-d6
Black defends e5.
5 a3-a4 Ng2-f4
The Knight attacks h5.
6 a4-a5 b6xa5
7 b4xa5 Nf4xh5
8 a5-a6 Nh5-f6+
9 Ke4-f5 Nf6-d5
J. Penrose 10 a6-a7 Nd5-b6
White to play Resigns
1 Ra4-a6+ Ke6-e7 One of Black’s Pawns would
2 Ra6-c6 Resigns eventually queen. This ending
For White must win the illustrates further the power
black Pawn on c5, and White’s of the passed Pawn. White
Pawn majority is enough to had to give up his Bishop, and
win. Black’s win was then just a
Moscow 1964 matter of careful counting of
D. Bronstein moves.
Ilford 1963
R. Persitz

abcdefgh
A. Suetin
Black to play
1 ... Nc2-e3!
a bcdefgh
Threatening ... g3-g2, and R. A. Fuller
also preventing the white King Black to play
advancing via c4. 1 ... Bc6-g2
68
 Driving away one of White’s If 1 ... Kc4-d3; 2 Rcl-
pieces defending g5. c3+, Kd3-d2; 3 Qe5-e3+,
Resigns Kd2-dl; 4Rc3-cl#.

White’s position was hope­ 2 Qe5-c3+ Kb3-a2

less. The game might have 3 b2-b4 Resigns
continued: Black is faced with the mate
2 Nh3-f2 Bg3-h4 threat 4 Rcl-al!
3 Nf2-d3 Paignton 1963
There is no better move. A. W. Bowen

3 ... Bh4xg5
4 Bd8xg5 Kf5xg5
And Black would win easily
with the two Pawns.

Enschede 1963
L. Popov

P. N. Wallis
White to play

Two black Pawns one move

from queening, but White has
trapped the black King in a
mating net.
1 Rdl-d5+ Ke5-f4
abcdefgh 2 Rd5-f5+ Kf4-g4
J. Penrose 3 Kgl-h2! Resigns
White to play
For if 3 ... b2-bl = Q;
By a series of checks, Black’s
4 f2-f3+, Kg4xh4; and
King has been forced out into
White follows up with Rf5-
an exposed position in the
h5#.
centre of the board.
Or if 3 ... Kg4xh4; 4
1 Ral-cl+ Kc4-b3 f2-f3, followed by Rf5-h5#.
69
 Bath 1963 1 Ne4xf6+ Kg8-f8
M. J. Franklin Not 1 .... Kg8-h8; 2
R.d7-h7#.
2 Re7-d7
Drawn—for Black has either
the choice of useless checks
with his Rook, or allowing
the perpetual check.
For example:
2 ... Rb2xb3
3 Nf6-h7+ Kf8-e8
abcdefgh
O. M. Hindle or g8
White to play 4 Nh7-f6+ Ke8 or
Saving an almost lost game g8-f8
by perpetual check! and so on.
Quiz on the End Game
We invite you to try to finish off each game, by searching for
the best methods, and suggesting the first few moves.
Our advice is to set up each position on a chessboard, and
try out your ideas before looking up t*' solutions, which are to
be found on pages 193 and 194.
Quiz 1
Carlsbad 1907 The fact that White has
S. Tartakover an outside passed Pawn on
file h, as opposed to Black’s
central passed Pawn, decides
this game.
If you were White, what
would be your next move, and
what general plan would you
have in mind with which to
follow it up ?

70
 Quiz 2 Quiz 3
Folkestone 1933 Hastings 1963
E. Andersen M. Tal

abcdefgh abcdefgh
A. A. Alekhine O. M. Hindle
White to play Black to play

Careful counting is needed Black has a passed Pawn

to solve this one. on e3.
What would you play if you How can you use this fact
were White, and can you to gain material, and thus an
suggest a winning method? easy win?

Quiz 4

This position comes from

a possible series of moves
arising after the finish of a
game Tal v Botwinnik (the 2nd
game of the World Champion­
ship match, Moscow 1961).
The white Pawn on a7
decides the situation.
Can you force Black to give
abcdefgh
up material in face of the
White to play queening threat ?
71'
 Quiz 5 Quiz 6
Havana 1963 Leipzig 1960
V. Korchnoi W. Lombardy

L. Pachman
White to play
An exposed black King
provides possibilities of neat
combinations for White.
Black resigned after White’s
next move.
Can you find this move, and
the reason for the resignation ?
Quiz 7
Hastings 1964
M. Bely
abcdefgh
M. Filip
White to play
The black King is ex­
posed, with White controlling
nearby ranks and files. All
the signs are that there is a
possibility of a mating net.
Can you find combinations
that end in the black King
being mated ?

White can break open

Black’s defence by a neat
offered sacrifice.
Can you find it ?

abc defgh
N. Littlewood
White to play
72
 Quiz 8
White to play
If Black can givfe up his
Knight for the white Pawn,
he must draw.
How does White prevent
this, and force his Pawn home
to queen ?
White is hopelessly down
on material. But can he save
the game, and by what means ?
73
Quiz 9
abcdefgh
Black to play
White’s Pawn has one
square to go to queen. But
does this matter to Black?
Can you find a method of
mating the white King?
[Solutions to this quiz are
on pages 193 -194.]
 TACTICAL DEVICES

In battle a larger army usually defeats a smaller one, unless the

smaller force enjoys some special advantage. One good winning
plan, therefore, is to try to reduce the size of your opponent’s
force by capturing his pieces, without giving up so many of
your own. This is what we call winning material.
For example, a common way of forcing a capture is by the
use of double attack or fork. In double attack two or more
pieces are attacked at the same time. If one of the two attacked
pieces is made safe, the other may be captured.
The following are the tactical devices most frequently used
to win material.

Basic Patterns

Knight Fork
Two or more pieces are
attacked at the same time.
74
A piece is attacked on a line
from which it cannot move
without exposing another piece
to attack, behind it.
 abcdefgh abcdefgh
Skewer Discovered Check

An attack along a line where An attack on the King is

the piece nearer the attacker is uncovered.
compelled to move.

abcdefgh abcdefgh
Discovered Attack Double Check

One piece, in moving, un­ One piece unmasks another,

masks the attack of another. both giving check.
75
 The following four half diagrams show different kinds of
double attack.
Queen Fork Bishop Fork

abc defgh abcdefgh

Rook Fork Pawn Fork

The following positions from games show a number of

these winning methods in action. Each particular tactical device
is explained in greater detail.

1. Tactical Positions
Knight fork: an attack on two or more pieces at the same
time.

1 ... Qe6xd5 +
2 Qd2xd5
Black has given up hir
Queen for White’s Rook-
why?

abcdefgh
Black to play
76
 2 ... Nf5-e3+
Black’s Knight forks White’s
King and Queen. See diagram
126.
3 K any square Ne3xd5
Black has ended up a whole
Rook ahead.

abcdefgh

Pin: an attack along a line on a piece which cannot move

without exposing another piece to attack.

This pins Black’s Knight a second time. See diagram

against its King. 128.
1 ... Kh8-g7 2 ... K any
Protecting the Knight. square
3 g5xf6
White wins the Knight.
77
 Skewer: an attack upon two pieces on the same line where the
piece nearest the attacker is compelled to move, leaving the
other to be taken.

abcdefgh
White to play
1 Bdl-c2+ Kf5-e5 2 Bd2-c3+
The black King has been See diagram 130.
forced on to the same diagonal After the black King moves
as the black Queen. If it had out of check, there follows:
moved to f6 the effect would 3 Bc3xh8
have been the same.
Now comes the skewer.
Discovered attack: an attack made by uncovering the attack­
ing action of a Queen, Rook or Bishop. •
1 h4-h5+
This is not a check just for
the sake of checking. The idea
is to drive the black King to
either h6 or g7, in either case
being exposed to attack by
another piece.
1 ... Kg6^7

abcdefgh
White to play
78
 2 Nd4-f5+
In checking the black King,
White has uncovered an attack
against the black Queen.
See diagram 132.
After the King moves out of
check, there follows:
3 Rdlxd8
abcdefgh

Discovered check: an attack made by uncovering the check­

ing action of a Queen, Rook or Bishop.

abcdefgh abcdefgh-
White to play
2 Bf4-b8 +
The Bishop on f4 can move,
discovering check, but all Discovering check on the
Black’s pieces are on white black King by the Rook on f2.
squares. The Bishop operates See diagram 134. 2 Bf4-e3-|-
would also do equally well.
on black squares. One enemy
piece can be forced on to a 2 ... K any
black square. square
1 a3-a4 Nb5-a7 3 Bb8xa7
The Knight moves to the
only safe square.
79
 Double check: a form of discovered check, in which the
uncovering piece gives check as well as the piece which is
unmasked.

abcdefgh
Black to play
2 ... Ng4-f2#
In double check the attacked Double checkmate!
King must move—you cannot The Bishop on d7 and the
capture two checking pieces Knight on f2 work together.
in one move, nor block checks Since the white King cannot
coming from two different move from this double check,
directions at once. it is mate.
1 ... f5-f4+ See diagram 136.
2 Kg3-h3
The white King has now
been forced on to the diagonal
commanded by the black
Bishop on d7.

2. Winning Attacks in the Middle Game

We are now ready to look at some actual games in which
victory was achieved by the use of tactical or checkmate
threats.
80
CHECKMATE
IN
ONE MOVE
 SIMPLE CASES

8 B ■ IM 8 ■ ■ ■ B
7 ■ ■ B±B± 7 BSB B ■
6 6
5 1 H M M 5 H B ■ ■
4 4
3 ■ ■ ■ >4 3 B ■ ■ B
B ■ ■ ■
B
2 2
■
■
1 m ■ 8 ■ 1
abcdefgh abcdefgh
i 2

8 1 ■ ■ B 8 ■ ■ Be®
7 B ■ ■ Bi 7 ■ ■ B1B1
■ ■ ■ ■
O

6 6
■
■
■

5 5 ■ ■ ■ ■
4 ■ ■ ■ ■ 4 ■ B ■ ■
3 M ■ ■ ■ 3 ■ O ■ ■
2 ■ ■ ■ ■ 2 -■ ■ ■ ■
1 ■ ■ ■ 3 1 ■ ■ ■ »
abcdefgh abcdefgh
3 4
Answers
1: Re8mate

2: Ra8 mate

3: Rg8mate

4:Qxg7mate
 SIMPLE CASES

abcde fgh
abcdefgh
5

abcdefgh

Answers
5: Nf7 mate

6: Bg7 mate

7: b7 mate

8: Rxb8 mate
83
 SIMPLE CASES

abcdefgh abcdefgh
o 10

8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1

11 12

Answers
9: Rd4 mate

10: Nh6 mate

11: h7 mate

12: Be5 mate 84

 SIMPLE CASES

abcdefgh
abcdefgh
13
14

abcdefgh
15
16

Answers

13: Qf7 mate

14: Qc8mate

15: Qcbmate

16: Qh7 mate

85
 SIMPLE CASES

a be de f g h
20

Answers
17: Nf7mate

18: Qf7 mate or Qe8 mate

19: Rai mate

20: Rf7 mate

86
 SIMPLE CASES

abcdefgh abcdefgh
21 22

Answers
21: Qe7 mate

22: Ra8 mate

23: Nb7 or Nc6 mate .

24: g5 mate
87
 PAWN PROMOTION

27 28

Answers
25: c8Qmate

26: c8N mate

27: d8Qord8Rmate

28: g8Q or g8Rmate

88
 PAWN PROMOTION

abcdefgh abcdefgh
29 30

abcdefgh

Answers

29: d8Q or d8Bmate

30: c8N mate (if cxb8Q+ Black piays Kxb8)

31: b8Qmate

32: dxe8Qmate
89
 PIN

abcdefgh abcdefgh
33

35 36

Answers
33: Ng6mate

34: d6mate

35: Qxh7mate

36: RxeSmate
90
 PIN

abcdefgh abcdefgh
37 38

abcdefgh abcdefgh
39 40

Answers
37: Rxd6 mate

38: Nb6 or Nc7 mate

39: Rd8 mate

40: Nxf7mate
91
 PIN

abcdefgh abcdefgh
41 42

abcdefgh abcde fgh

43 44

Answers
41: Rh5 mate

42: Rd4mate

43: Qa6mate

44: Re8mate
 PIN

8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
abcdefgh
45 46

8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
abcdefgh
47 48

Answers
45: Rxa6mate

46: Rd8 mate

47: Ng6 mate or Rxf7 mate

48: Ne6mate
93
 MISCELLANEOUS

a be d e f g h abede fgh
49 50

8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
abcdefgh abcdefgh
51 52

Answers
49: Qe5 mate

50: Rxh7mate

51: Re6mate

52: Bh7mate
94
 MISCELLANEOUS

8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
abcdefgh
S3 54

abodefgh abcdefgh
55 56

Answers
53: Rh6mate

54: Bf7 mate

55: QxdS mate

56; Bxf6mate
95
 MISCELLANEOUS

abcdefgh abcdefgh
57 58

8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1

59 60

Answers
57: Qh5 mate

58: Nf7 mate

59: Re8 mate

60: Ne7mate
96
 MISCELLANEOUS

abcdefgh
61

abcdefgh
63

Answers
61: Rh3 mate

62: g3 mate

63: Bh6 mate

64: Ba6 mate

97
 MISCELLANEOUS

abcde f g h abcdefgh
65 66

abcdefgh abcdefgh

67 68

Answers
65: Nf4mate

66: Qf7 mate

67: Qh3 mate

68: Ng3 mate

98
 MISCELLANEOUS

abcdefgh abcdefgh
69 70

abcdefgh abcdefgh
71 72

Answers
69: Qg5 mate

70: Ng3 mate

71: g4mate

72: Qg4mate
99
 MISCELLANEOUS

abcde fgh abcdefgh

73

abcdefgh
75

Answers
73: Qxh6 mate

74: Bf6mate

75: Ra3 mate

76: Qg6mate
100
 MISCELLANEOUS

abcdefgh abcdefgh
77 78

abcdefgh abcdefgh
79 80

Answers
77: Qxh7mate

78: Ng6 mate

79: Bg6 mate

80: Re8mate
101
 MISCELLANEOUS

abcdefgh abcdefgh
81 82

83 84

Answers
81: Ng7 mate

82: Bb5 mate

83: Bg7 mate

84: Rg3 mate

102
 MISCELLANEOUS

abcdefgh
85 86

8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
abcdefgh abcdefgh
87

Answers
85: Rh3 mate

86: Rgl mate or Rg3 mate

87: Qg7 mate

88: Nxg6mate
103
 MISCELLANEOUS

abcdefgh abcdefgh
89 90

abcde fgh abcdefgh

91 92

Answers
89: Rxf7 mate

90: Rxh8mate

91: Nb3 mate

92: Re8 mate

104
 MISCELLANEOUS

8 8
7 7
6 6
5 5
4 4
3 3
2 2
1 1
abcde fgh abcdefgh
93 94

8 8
7 7
6 6
5 5
4 4
3 3
2 2
1 1
abcdefgh abcdefgh
95 96

Answers
93: Re8 mate

94: Bxg4mate

95: Bxg7mate

96: Bxg6 mate

105
 DISCOVERED AND DOUBLE CHECK

abcdefgh abcde fgh

97 98

abcde fgh abcdefgh

99 100

.Answers
97: Ng5 mate

98: Rd8 mate

99: £7 mate

100: Bxf6mate
106
 DISCOVERED AND DOUBLE CHECK

abcdefgh abcdefgh
101 102

abcdefgh
103

Answers
101: Bf8 mate

102: Rf8 or Rg6 mate

103: Nxg3 mate

104: Ne6 mate

107
 DISCOVERED AND DOUBLE CHECK

abcdefgh
IOS

abcdefgh
107 108

Answers
105: Be5 mate

106: Ng6mate

107: g8Nmate

108: -Ba5 mate

108
 DISCOVERED AND DOUBLE CHECK

abcdefgh abcdefgh
109 no

abcdefgh
in 112

Answers
109: Bg5 mate

110: dxe7 mate

111: RfBmate

112: Rh6mate
109
 DISCOVERED AND DOUBLE CHECK

113 IK

abcdefgh abcdefgh

115 116

Answers
113: g8Qorg8Rmate

114: Bd7mate

115: hxg8Q or hxg8R mate

116: Bf6mate
110
CHECKMATE
IN
TWO MOVES
 BACK ROW

abcdefgh abcdefgh
117 118

abcdefgh abcde fgh

119 120

Answers
117: 1 Re8+ Rxe8 2 Rxe8 mate

118: 1 Qe8+ Bxe8 2 Rxe8 mate

119: 1 Rf8+ Rxf8 2 Qxf8 mate

120: 1 Rxe8+ Rxe8 2 Rxe8 mate

112
 BACK ROW

abcdefgh abcdefgh
121 122

abcdefgh abcdefgh
123 124

Answers
121: 1 Qxf8+ Rxf8 2 Rxf8 mate or I Rxf8+ Rxf8 2 Qxf8 mate

122: 1 Qe8+ Rxe8 2 Rxe8 mate not 1 Rxd8+? Qxd8!

.123: 1 Qg8+ Rxg8 2 hxg8Q or hxg8Rmate (double check!)

J24: 1 Qxe8+ Rxe8 2 Rxe8 mate

 BACK ROW

8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
abcdefgh
125

8
7
6
5
4
3
2

abcdefgh
127

Answers

125: 1 Bxd4+ Rxd4 2 Rf8 mate

126: 1 Re8+ Bf8 2 either RxfB mate

127: 1 Ra8+ Bxa8 2 Qc8 mate

128: 1 Rd8+ Bf8 2 Rxf8 mate

114
 BACK ROW

abcdefgh abcdefgh
129 130

8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
abcdefgh abcdefgh
131 132

Answers
129: 1 Rb7+ followed by Ra8 mate

130: 1 Rxe8+ Rxe8 2 Rxe8 mate

131: 1 Rg3+ followed by Rc8 mate

132: 1 Be4+ followed by Rd8 mate

115
 BACK ROW

abcde fgh abcde fgh

133 134

abcde fgh
135

Answers
133: 1 f6+ followed by Rd8 mate

134: 1 e6+ followed by h8Q or h8R mate

135: 1 Bd5+Kf8 2 Rc8 mate

136: 1 Ng5+ Kg8 2 Rc8 mate

116
 BACK ROW

abcdefgh abcdefgh
137 138

abcdefgh a'bcdefgh
139 140

Answers
137: 1 Nxd6+ or Nf6+ (double checks!) followed by Re8 mate

138: 1 Rc8+ Rxc8 2 Qxc8 mate

139; 1 Bh5+ Kf8 or Kg8 2 Re8 mate

140: 1 Qxf8+ Kxf8 2 Rb8 mate (2 Rd8+?? Rxd8) or 1 Rg7+ Kh8 2 Qx

f8 mate. 1 Qc4+? RdS!
117
 BACK ROW

abcdefgh abcde fgh

141 142

143

Answers

141: 1 Bd5+ Kh8 2 RfB mate

142: 1 Bf6+Kg8 2 Rh8 mate

143: 1 Bd5+ Kh8 or Kh7 2 Rhl mate

i

144: 1 Rh8+! Kxh8 2 Rf8 mate. It is easy to stalemate Black in this

position. 1 Rhgl! or Kh2 or Kh3 all force the same mate.
118
 BACK ROW

abcde f g h abcdefgh
145 146

a b c d e f g h abcdefgh
‘ 147 148

Answers
145: 1 g6+ Kg8 or Kh8 2 Re8 mate

146: 1 Bg5+ Kf8 2 Re8 mate

147: 1 Rxb8+ Rxb8 2 Rxb8 mate

148: 1 Nb7+Ke8 2 Rc8 mate

119
 BACK ROW

abcdefgh abcdefgh
149 150

abcdefgh
151 152

Answers

149: 1 Ng6+ hxg6 2 Rhl mate

150: 1 Rxh7+ Kxh7 2 Rhl mate

151: 1 Be6+Kh8 2 Rxf8 mate

152: 1 Qd8+! Kxd8 2 Rf8 mate

120
 BACK ROW

abcdefgh
153

155 156

Answers
153: 1 Nf6+ Kh8 2 Rxg8 mate

154: 1 Qh7+ Rxh7 2 Rxh7 mate

155: 1 Qxh7+Kxh7 2 Rh3 mate

156: 1 Rh3+ Kg8 2 Rh8 mate

121
 BACK ROW

abcde fgh abcdefgh

157 158

abcdefgh abcdefgh
159 160

Answers

157: 1 Qf8+ Rxf8 2 Rxf8 mate

158: 1 Qxh7+ Kxh7 2 Rh5 mate

159: 1 Qxe8+ Kxe8 2 Rd8 mate

160: 1 Qc8+ Bxc8 2 Rxc8 mate or 1 Qc8+ Be8 2 Qxe8 mate

122
 BACK ROW

abcdefgh abcdefgh
161 162

abcdefgh abcdefgh
163 164

Answers
161: 1 Nxc7+ Rxc7 2 Rd8 mate

162: 1 Bxh7+ Kh8 2 Rxf8 mate

163: 1 Rh4+ Kg8 2 Rh8 mate

164: 1 Re8+ Nxe8 2 Rf8 mate

123
 BACK ROW

abcdefgh abcdefgh
165 166

abcdefgh abcdefgh
167 168

Answers
165: 1 Rxf8+ Kxf8 2 Re8 mate

166: 1 Qd8+ Bxd8 2 Re8 mate

167: 1 Qxh7+Kxh7 2 Rh3 mate

168: 1 Nc5+ Ke8 2 Rf8 mate

124
 BACK ROW

abcdefgh abcdefgh
169 170

abcdefgh abcdefgh
171 172
Answers
169: 1 Qf8+Rxf8 2 Rxf8 mate

170: 1 Rxf8+ Qxf8 2 Qxf8 mate

171: 1 Rxd8+ Rxd8 2 Qxd8 mate or 1 Qxd8+ Rxd8 2 Rxd8 mate

172: 1 Qb8+ Kxb8 2 Rxd8 mate

125
 BACK ROW

abcdefgh abcdefgh
173 174

abcdefgh abcdefgh
175 176

Answers
173: 1 Rg8+ Rxg8 2 Rxg8 mate

174: 1 Qxh7+Kxh7 2 Rh3 mate

175: 1 Rg7+Kf8 2 Rh8 mate

176: 1 fxg7+Kg8 2 Rf8 mate

126
 BACK ROW

8
7
6
5
4
3
2

abcdefgh abcdefgh
177 178

abcdefgh
179 180

Answers
*
177: 1 Qxf7+ Rxf7 2 Re8 mate or 1 Qxf7+ Kh8 2 Qxf8 mate

178: 1 Rxh7+ Kxh7 2 Qh5 mate

179: 1 Qxh7+ Kxh7 2 Rh4 mate

180: 1 Qxh7+ Rxh7 2 Rg8 mate

127
 BACK ROW

abcdefgh abcdefgh
181 182

8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
abcdefgh abcdefgh
183 184

Answers
181: 1 Bh6+ Bg7 2 Qh8 mate or 1 Bh6+ Qg7 2 Qxh8 mate

182: 1 Rxh6+ Kxh6 2 Qh8 mate

183: 1 Rxg8+ Rxg8 2 Nh7 mate or 1 Nh7+ Rxh7 2 Rxg8 mate

184: 1 Ng6+ hxg6 2 Qh3 mate

128
 BACK ROW

abcdefgh abcdefgh
185 186

abcdefgh abcdefgh
187 188
Answers
185: 1 Rh5+ gxh5 2 Qxh5 mate

186: 1 Qa8+ Rxa8 2 Rxa8 mate

187: 1 Rxf8+ Kxf8 2 Qd8 mate

188: 1 Qg5+ l£f? 2 Qg8 mate or 1 Qxh7+! Kf8 2 Qg8 mate or 1 Qxh7+!
Kxf6 2 Qh6 mate!
129
 BACK ROW

abcdefgh abcdefgh
189 190

abcdefgh
191 192
Answers

189: 1 Bd5+Kh8 or Kh7 2 Rh2 mate

190: 1 Rh8+ Bxh8 2 Qxh8 mate

191: 1 Qxh7+ Kxh7 2 Rh4 mate

192: 1 Qxh6+ Kxh6 2 Rh8 mate or 1 Rh8+ Kxh8 2 Qxh6 mate

130
 BACK ROW

abcdefgh abcdefgh
193 194

195

Answers
193: 1 Ng6+ hxg6 2 Rhl mate

194: 1 Qh5+ Kxh5 2 Rh7 mate

195: 1 Qe8+ Rg8 2 Qxg8 or Rxg8 mate

196: 1 Qf8+ Kh7 2 Qg7 mate or 1 Qf8+ Bxf8 2 Rh8 mate

131
 BACK ROW

abcdefgh
197

abcdefgh abcdefgh
199 200
Answers
197: 1 Ng5+ Kg8 or Kh8 2 Rd8 mate

198: 1 Nh6+ Kf8 2 Rg8 mate

199: 1 Rc8+ Rb7 2 Rf7 mate

200: 1 Rb7+ Kc8 2 Ra8 mate

132
 BACK ROW

abcdefgh abcdefgh
201 202

203 204
Answers
201: 1 Be6+ Kh8 2 Rxf8 mate

202: 1 Rh8+ Kxh8 2 Qxf8 mate

203: 1 Qxf7+ Kh8 2 Qxf8 mate or 1 Qxf7+ Rxf7 2 Rd8 mate

204: 1 Rxh7+ Rxh7 2 Qf8 mate

133
 BACK ROW

abcdefgh abcdefgh
205 206

abcdefgh
207 208
Answers

205: 1 Qxf8+ Kxf8 2 Ra8 or Rb8 mate

206: 1 Qe8+ Bf8 2 Qxf8 mate

207: 1 Bc5+ followed by Re8 mate

208: 1 Bh6+ Kg8 2 Rxe8 mate

134
 BACK ROW

a b c de f g h abcdefgh
209 210

abcdefgh abcdefgh
211 212
Answers

209: 1 Qg8+ Kxg8 2 Re8 mate

210: 1 Qe8+? Kh7 2 Rhl+ Rh5+H but 1 Rhl+! Kg8 2 Qe8 mate!

211: 1 Ng6+Kg8 2 Rxf8 mate

212: 1 Be6+Kf8 2 Rh8 mate

135
 BACK ROW

abcde fgh abcdefgh

213 214

8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
abcdefgh abcdefgh
215 216

Answers
213: 1 Rg8+ Rxg8 2 Rxg8 mate

214: i Rg8+Bf8 2 Rxf8 mate

215: 1 Re8+ Bxe8 2 Rxe8 mate

216: 1 Qa8+ Qc8 2 Qxc8 mate

136
 BACK ROW

abcdefgh abcdefgh
217 218

abcdefgh abcdefgh
219 220

Answers
217: 1 Qe7+ Kc8 2 Qe8 mate

218: 1 Bxc6+ followed by Re8 mate

219: 1 Rxf8+ Rxf8 2 Rxf8 mate

* 220: 1 Qg8+ Rxg8 2 hxg8Q mate

137
 BACK ROW

abcde fgh abcde fgh

221 222

abcdefgh abcdefgh
223 224

Answers
221: 1 Rh8+ Bxh8 2 Rxh8 mate

222: 1 Qh8+Rxh8 2 Rxh8 mate

223: 1 hxg6+ (double check!) Kg8 2 Rh8 mate

224: 1 Qc4+ Kh8 2 Qc8 mate

138
 QUEEN

8 8
7 7
6 6
5 5
4 4
3 3
2 2
1 1
abcdefgh abcdefgh
225 226

8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
abcdefgh abcdefgh
227 228

Answers
225: 1 Qh7+ Kf8 2 Qxf7 mate

226: 1 Ne7+ Kh8 2 Qxf8 mate

227: 1 Qd3+ Ke6 2 Qd7 mate

228: 1 Nfe7+ Rxe7 2 Qf8 mate or 1 Qg7+ Rxg7 2 Nh6 mate

139
 QUEEN

abcdefgh abcdefgh
229 230

abcaefgh
231

Answers
229: 1 Ne6+Ke8 2 Qd8 mate

230: 1 Bxe6+ followed by Qxh7 mate or 1 Bxh7+ Kh8 2 Nf7 mate

231: 1 Qxg6 followed by either Qxg7 or Qh7 mate

232: 1 Qh7+ Kf7 2 Qxg7 mate

140
 QUEEN

abcdefgh abcdefgh
233 234

abcdefgh abcdefgh
235 236
Answers

233: 1 Rg8+ Kxg8 2 Qg7 or Qh8 mate

234: 1 Qxh5+ Nh6 2 Qxh6 mate

235: 1 Rf7+ Kg8 2 Qe8 mate

236: 1 Rxg8+ Kxg8 2 Qe8 mate

141
 ROOK

abcdefgh abcdefgh
237 238

abcdefgh abcdefgh
239 240

Answers
237: 1 Re8+ Rxe8 2 Rxe8 mate

238: 1 Rxli7+ Kg8 2 Rdg7 mate

239: 1 hxg6+ (double check!) Kg7 2 Rh7 mate

240: 1 Ne7+ Kh8 2 Rxf8 mate

142
 ROOK

abc.de fgh abcdefgh

241 242

abcdefgh
243

Answers

241: 1 Bh7+ Kh8 2 Rxf8 mate

242: 1 Qxh6+ Qxh6 2 Rxg8 mate or 1 Qxh6+ Qh7 2 Qxh7 or Rxg8 mate

243: 1 Bh6+ Kg8 2 Re8 mate

244: 1 Bf6+Kg8 2 Rd8 mate

143
 ROOK

abcdefgh abcdefgh
245 246

abcdefgh abcdefgh
247 248

Answers
245: 1 Be5+ Bg7 2 Rf8 mate or 1 Be5+ Rg7 2 Rxf8 mate

246: 1 Nd7+Ke8 2 Rg8 mate

247: 1 Rxf7+ Bg7 2 either Rxg7 mate

248: 1 Nf6+ Bxf6 or Kf8 2 Re8 mate

144
 ROOK

abcdefgh
249

abcde fgh abcdefgh

251 252

Answers
249: 1 Qh8+ Nxh8 2 Rxh8 mate

250: 1 Qxg8+ Kxg8 2 Rf8 mate

251: 1 Qxa5+ Kb8 2 Rd8 mate

252: 1 Qxf7+ Rxf7 2 Rd8 mate or 1 Qxf7+ Kh8 2 Qxf8 mate

145
 ROOK

abcdefgh abcdefgh
253 254

abcdefgh
255 256

Answers
253: 1 Rc8+ Kb7 or Ka7 2 Rlc7 mate

254: 1 Qxh7+ Kxh7 2 Rh3 mate

255: 1 Rxg8+ Kxg8 2 Rh8 mate

256: 1 Ba6+ Ka7 or Ka8 2 Bc8 mate

146
 ROOK

abcdefgh abcdefgh
257 258

abcdefgh abcdefgh
259 260
Answers
257: 1 Rf8+ Rg8 2 either Rxg8 mate

258: 1 Rh8+ Kg5 2 Rh5 mate

259: 1 Rh8+ Kf7 2 Rf8 mate

260: 1 Qxf8+! Qxf8 2 Rxh7 mate

147
 ROOK

a b c d e f g h abcdefgh
261 262

abcdefgh abcdefgh
263 264

Answers
261: 1 Ra7+ Kc8 2 Rc7 mate

262: 1 Qxg7+ Rxg7 2 Rxg7 mate

263: 1 hxg6+ Kg7 2 Rxh7 mate

264: 1 Rxh7+Kg8 2 Rdg7 mate

148
 ROOK

8 ■ If 8 ■1« ■ s
7 ■ ■ H Kt 7 ■ ■ ■!■
6 tn 6 tB ■ ■!■
5 5 a s9,.
4 4
3 3 t id M ®,
2 mi nn it 2 MB ■ ■
1 ■ ■ «?■ 1 ■W « ■§
abcdefgh abcdefgh
265 266

8 ill fl ill M 8 ■ ■ ■ ■
7 ■ ■ ■ ■! 7 ■ ■ ■ ■■
6 ■ ■ MSB 6 ■ ■ ■ ■
5 K ■ ■ ■ 5 ■ 11 ,■ ■
4 Hl^ ® 8 X <0 4 ■ ii bib
3 iB ■ fi s 3 ■ ■ ■ ■
2 Im 9/,. 94y39k 2 o o •*»
9,, '9,. 9 9.
1 1 9 9,

abcdefgh abcdefgh
267 268
Answers
265: 1 Bf8+ Kh8 2 Bh6 mate

266: 1 Qf6+ Kf8 or Ke8 2 Rh8 mate

267: 1 Nf5+ Kh5 2 Rg5 mate

268: 1 Rhl+ Bh2 2 Rxh2 mate

149
 BISHOP

abcdefgh abcdefgh
269 270

abcdefgh a b c d e f g h
271 272
Answers
269: 1 Nf7+Kd7 2 Bb5 mate

270: 1 Rd8+ Rg8 2 c4 mate

271: 1 Bf6+ Kf8 2 Nh7 mate or 1 Bf6+ Kg6 2 Bf7 mate

272: 1 0xe6+ fxe6 2 Bg6 mate

150
 BISHOP

abcdefgh
273

abcdefgh
275 276

Answers
273: 1 Bf5+Kc7 2 Bd8 mate

274: 1 h6+ Kxh6 2 Bf8 mate

275: 1 Rf8+ Kg7 2 Bh6 mate

276: 1 Bc5+ Ke8 2 Bg6 mate

151
 BISHOP

abcdefgh abcdefgh
277 278

abcdefgh abcdefgh
279 280

Answers
277: 1 Ne4+Kh4 2 Bf6 or Bg3 mate

278: 1 Kf8 Allowed by Bc3 mate

279: 1 g4+Kh4 2 Bel mate

280: 1 Qxf7+ Rxf7 2 Bxf7 mate or 1 Bxf7+ Rxf7 2 Qxf7 mate

152
 BISHOP

abcdefgh abcdefgh
281 282

abcdefgh abcdefgh
283 284

Answers
281:1 Bf4+ Kd7 2 Be6 mate

282: 1 Qxg4+ Kxg4 2 Be2 mate

283: 1 Qxc6+ bxc6 2 Ba6 mate

284: 1 Bd5+ Ne6 2 Bxe6 mate or 1 Bd5+ Bxd5 2 Rf8 mate

- 153
 KNIGHT

abcde fgh abcdefgh

285 286

287 288

Answers
285: 1 Rf8+Rxf8 2 Ng7 mate

286: 1 Rdxd8+ Qxd8 2 Ne7 mate

287: 1 Qg8+ Rxg8 2 Nf7 mate

288: 1 Rxh6+ Kg8 2 Ne7 mate

154
 KNIGHT

abcdefgh abcdefgh
289 290

abcdefgh abcdefgh
291 292
Answers
289: 1 Nfh6+ Nxh6 2 Nxh6 mate but not 1 Ngh6+? Kh7 2 Ne7+ Bxc2

290: 1 Qe7+Kg8 2 Nh6 mate

291: 1 Nh6+ Kf8 2 Nh7 mate

292: 1 Qh8+ Bxh8 2 Nh.7 mate or 1 Ne6+ fxe6 2 Qxg7 mate

155
 KNIGHT

abcdefgh abcdefgh
293 294

abcdefgh
295 296
Answers

293: 1 Rxf7+ Nxf7 2 Ng6 mate

294: 1 Qxh7+ Qxh7 2 Nf7 mate

295: 1 either Ne6+ Nxe6 2 Nxe6 mate

296: 1 Ng7+Kf4 2 Ne2 mate

 PAWN

abcdefgh abcdefgh
297 298

abcdefgh abcdefgh
299 300
At ngwcrs
297: 1 Bf7+Kg4 2 h3 mate

298: 1 Rxh7+Kg5 2 h4 mate

299: 1 Nh4+ Ke6 2 d5 mate

300: 1 d5+ cxd5 2 cxd5 mate

157
 PAWN

abcde fgh abcdefgh

301 302

8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
abcdefgh abcdefgh
303 304
Answers
301: 1 Bf7+ Nxf7 2 exf7 mate

302: 1 Qf7+ Rxf7 2 exf7 mate

303: 1 Qg6+! Nxg6 2 fxg6 mate

304: 1 Bd5+ Nxd5 2 exd5 mate

158
 PAWN

abcdefgh abcdefgh
305 306

abcdefgh abcdefgh
307 308
Answers
305: 1 Rh8! b6 2 axb6 mate or 1 Rh8! b5 2 axb6 en passant, mate

306: 1 Qxc3+ Nxc3 2 b4 mate

307: 1 Bc7+ Ka7 2 b6 mate

308: 1 a3+ Ka4 2 b3 mate

159
 THE CASTLED KING!

abcdefgh abcdefgh
309 310

abcdefgh abcdefgh
311 312
Answers
309: 1 Rh8+ Kxh8 2 Qh7 mate or 1 Rh8+ Qxh8 2 Qf7 mate

310: 1 Bxa6 and mate next move by either Qc7 or Qd8 depending
upon Black’s move

311: 1 Rxg7+ Kxg7 or Kh8 2 Qxh7 mate

312:1 Rg7+ Kxg7 2 Qh7 mate

160
 THE CASTLED KING

8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
abcdefgh
314 '■

abcdefgh
316

Answers
313: 1 Nxh7+ Nxh7 2 Ng6 mate

314: 1 Nxa7+ Kd7 2 Bb5 mate

315: 1 Qf8+Rxf8 2 Rxf8 mate

316: 1 Rb8+ Nxb8 2 Qb7 mate or 1 Rxc7+ and Qb7 mate

161
 THE CASTLED KING

abcdefgh abcdefgh
317 318

8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
abcdefgh
319 320

Answers

317: 1 Rxh6+ gxh6 2 Qf7 mate!

318: 1 Rxf7+ Kxf7 2 Qg7 mate

319: 1 Rxb6+ Ka7 2 Qb7 mate or 1 Rxc7+ Kb8 2 Qb7 mate

320: 1 Qh7+ Kf8 2 Qg8 mate or 1 Qh7+ Kxf6 2 Qxh6 mate

162
 THE CASTLED KING

abcdefgh abcdefgh
321 322

abcdefgh abcdefgh
323 324

Answers
321: 1 Ng6+ hxg6 2 Qh3 mate

322: 1 Nd6+ either Nxd6 2 Qxb8 mate or 1 Nd6+ Qxd6 2 Qb7 mate

323: 1 Rh8+ Kxh8 2 Qh7 mate

324: i Qf8+ Bg8 2 Qxf6 mate

163
 THE CASTLED KING

8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
abcdefgh abcdefgh
325 326

abcdefgh abcde fgh

327 328

Answers

325: 1 Re7+ KfB or Kf6 2 Qxg7 mate

326: 1 Qh6! and Qg7 mate next move

*
327: 1 Nf8+ (double :heck!) Kh8 or Kg8 2 Qh7 mate

328: 1 Rxd8+ Kxg7 2 Qg5 mate

164
 THE CASTLED KING

8
7 7
6 6
5 5
4 4
3 3
2 2
1
abcdefgh abcdefgh
329 330

abcdefgh abcdefgh
331 332

Answers
329: 1 Nf5+ exf5 2 Bc5 mate (double check!)

330: 1 Rh8+Nxh8 2 Rxh8 mate

331: 1 Re8+ Nxe8 2 QfB mate

332: 1 Qxf7+ Kh8 2 Qxf8 mate or 1 Qxf7+ Rxf7 2 Rd8 mate

165
 THE CASTLED KING

abcdefgh abcdefgh
333 334

abcdefgh abcdefgh
335 336
Answers
333: 1 Rxh5+ gxh5 2 Qf6 mate or 1 Qf4+ g5 2 Qf6 mate

334: 1 Rf8+Kxf8 2 Qf7 mate

'33i 1 Qxf6+ either Rxf6 2 Rxh7inate

336: 1 Rxh7+Kxh7 2 Qh5 mate

166
 THE CASTLED KING

8
7
6
5
4

2
1
abcdefgh abcdefgh
337 338

abcdefgh abcdefgh
339 340

Answers

337: 1 Rg7+ Kh8 or Kf8 2 Rg8 mate

338: 1 Bc6+ Kf8 2 Re8 mate

339: 1 Bd6+ Ke8 2 Rf8 mate

340: 1 Nd6+ Kd8 2 Qe8 mate

167
 THE CASTLED KING

abcdefgh abcdefgh
341 342

8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
abcdefgh abcdefgh
343 344
Answers
341: 1 Rhfl+ Kg8 2 Ne7 or Nf6 mate

342: 1 Nf6+Kd8 2 Qe8 mate

343: 1 Bg5+! Kxf7 2 Nd6 mate

344: 1 Rxh6+ Kxh6 2 Qg6 mate or 1 Rg8+ Rf5 2 Bxf5 or Qg6 mate
168
 THE CASTLED KING

8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
abcdefgh
345 346

8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
abcdefgh
347

Answers
345: 1 Nhg6+ Kg8 2 Rh8 mate

346: 1 Rg5+! Rf7 2 Qxf7 mate or 1 Rg5+! Rxb3 or Bd5 2 Bxh7 mate or
1 Bxh7+ Qxh7 2 Rg5 mate! (double check)
347: 1 Nb5+ Ka8 2 Ra7 mate
348: 1 Ng6+ hxg6 2 hxg3 mate!
169
 THE CASTLED KING

abcdefgh
349

abcde fgh abcdefgh

351 352

Answers

349: 1 Nd7+Ka8 2 Nc7 mate

350: 1 Rh5+! Kg7 2 Rxg6!! mate

351: 1 Bxe6+ followed by Qf7 mate

352: 1 Rd6+ Rxd6 2 Ne6 mate

170
 THE CASTLED KING

abcdefgh abcdefgh
353 354

abcdefgh abcdefgh
355 356

Answers
353: 1 Nf8+Kh8 2 Qh7 mate

354: 1 Re7+Kh8 2 Rh7 mate

355: 1 Re5+ Kd6 2 c5 mate!

356: 1 Nf5+! Ke8 2 Nxg7 mate

171
 THE CASTLED KING

abcdefgh abcdefgh
357 358

8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
abcdefgh abcdefgh
359 360
Answers
357: 1 Nf6+ Kh8 2 Nf7 or Ng6 mate or 1 Nf6+ Kf8 2 Ng6 mate or 1
Ne7+ and Ng6 mate (which works even without the second white
,knight)

358: 1 Nf5+ Kg8 2 Nh6 mate! or 2 Ne7 mate

359: 1 Ng5+ hxg5 2 hxg6 mate

360: 1 Nxe6+ Kh7 or f4 2 Qxg7 mate or 1 Nxe6+ g5 2 hxg6 en passant
mate! 1T,
 THE CASTLED KING

abcdefgh
361

abcdefgh
363

Answers

361: 1 Nf6+ KfB 2 Qe8 mate oi z Rd8 mate

362: 1 Bb5+ Kf7 2 Be8 mate or 1 Bb5+ Kd8 2 Re8 mate

363: 1 Qg7+!! Bxg7 2 Nf6 mate

364: 1 Rxg7+ Kh8 2 Rxh7 or Rg8 mate or 1 Rxf8+ Kxf8 2 Qf7 mate
173
 THE CASTLED KING

abcdefgh abcdefgh
365 366

abcdefgh abcdefgh
367 368

Answers
365: 1 Nxd7+!! Qe7 2 Qxe7 mate or 1 Nxd7+!! Ne6 or Ne4 or Nxe2 2
Nf6mate!!

366: 1 hxg5+Kg8 or Kg6 2 Ne7 mate!!

367: 1 Qxc7+ Kxc7 2 Rc5 mate

368: 1 Rg7+Kh8 2 Rg8 mate

174
 THE CASTLED KING

abcdefgh abcdefgh
369 370

abcdefgh abcdefgh
371 372

Answers
369: 1 Rb4+Ka5 2 Bc7 mate

370: 1 Nf7+ Kg8 2 Nh6 mate

371: 1 Bf6+ Kxf6 or Kh6 2 Qg5 mate

372: 1 Rg4+ Kh6 or Kh8'2 Nxf7 mate

175
 QUEEN SACRIFICES

abcdefgh abcdefgh
373 374

abcdefgh abcdefgh
375 376

Answers
373: 1 Qg8+ Nxg8 2 Nf7 mate

374: 1 Qh7+Kxh7 2 Bf7 mate

375: 1 Qe7+! Rxe7 2 Nf6 mate

376: 1 Qf7+! Nxf7 2 Ne6 mate

176
 QUEEN SACRIFICES

abcdefgh a bcde fgh

377 378

abcdefgh a*b c d e f g h
379 380

Answers

377: 1 Qh6+Kxh6 2 Rh8 mate

378: 1 Qxc6+! Bxc6 2 Nxe6 mate

379: 1 Qc8+! Rxc8 2 Nd7 mate

380: 1 Qxc6+ bxc6 2 Ba6 mate

177
 MISCELLANEOUS

8 8
7 7
6 6
5 5
4 4
3 3
2 2
1 1
abcdefgh abcde fgh
381 382

8 8
7 7
6 6
5 5
4 4
3 3
2 2
1 1
abcdefgh abcdefgh
383 384

Answers
381: 1 Qf7+!! Kxf7 2 Rd8 mate!

382: 1 Nh5+ Ke8 2 Nxf6 mate or 1 Nh5+ Kg8 2 Qg5 mate

383: 1 Nd7+Bxd7 2 Rd5 mate

384: 1 Rxh7+Kxh7 2 Rhl mate

178
 MISCELLANEOUS

abcdefgh
385

abcdefgh abcdefgh
387 388

Answers
385: 1 Rf5+gxf5 2 Rg5 mate

386: 1 a7+ Kc8 2 a8Q or a8R mate

387: 1 Qf8+ Nxf8 2 Ng7 mate

388: 1 Ng6+ fxg6 2 Qe6 mate

179
 MISCELLANEOUS

abcdefgh abcdefgh
389 390

abcdefgh
392
Answers

389: 1 Bc5+ Qxc5 2 Qd7 mate

390: 1 h4+ Kg4 2 Rg6 mate

391: 1 Bb8! followed by Nc7 mate or if 1 ...b5 2 Nxc5 mate

392: 1 Ra5+ bxa5 2 b5 mate

180
 MISCELLANEOUS

abcdefgh abcdefgh
393 394

abcdefgh abcdefgh
395 396

Answers
393: 1 Nc4+Ke7 2 Re8 mate

394: 1 Ng6+ hxg6 2 Rhl mate

395: 1 Nd5+Ke6 2 Nef4 mate

396: 1 Rf6+ Kxe5 2 Bf4 mate

181
 MISCELLANEOUS

8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
abcdefgh abcdefgh
397 398

abcde fgh abcde fgh

399 400

Answers
397: 1 Rh8+ Kf7 2 Be8 mate

398: 1 Bxg6+ Kxg6 2 Qh5 mate

399: 1 Bf4+ gxf4 2 gxf4 mate

400: 1 Qe4+!! Kxe4 2 Nc3 mate or 1 Nc3+ Ne3 2 Qe4 mate

182
 MISCELLANEOUS

abcdefgh abcdefgh
401 402

abcdefgh abcdefgh
403 404

Answers

401: 1 f5+ Kf7 2 Nd6 mate

402: 1 Nf7+ Kd7 2 Be6 mate

403: 1 Rxg8+ Kxg8 2 Re8 mate

404: 1 Reb7+ Kc5 2 Ra5 mate

183
 MISCELLANEOUS

abcdefgh abcdefgh
405 406

abcde fgh abcdefgh

407 408

Answers
405: 1 Bxe7+ Rxe7 2 Rg6 mate or 1 Rg6* Nxg6 2 Rf7 mate or 1 Rxe7
followed by either Rf7 mate or Rg6 mate or Nd7 mate depending
upon Black’s move.

406: 1 either Rf6+ Bxf6 2 Rxf6 mate

407: 1 Ne7+Kh8 2 Rxf8 mate

408: 1 Rxh6+ Kxh6 2 Rh3 mate

184
 MISCELLANEOUS

abcde fgh
409 410

abcdefgh abcdefgh
412

Answers

409: 1 Nxf6+ Rxf6 2 Re8 mate

410: 1 Rh4+ Nxh4 2 g4 mate but not 1 Rg5+?? Nxg5+!

411: 1 Bg7+Kg8 2Nf6mate

412: 1 Bxf7+ Kf8 2 Ng6 mate

185
 MISCELLANEOUS

abcdefgh abcdefgh
413 414

abode f g h abcdefgh
415

Answers
413: 1 Nd6 a8Q 2 Nf7 mate

414: 1 Re8+ Nxe8 2 Bh7 mate or l...Rf8 2 Rxf8 or gxf8Q or gxf8R

mate!
415: 1 Nf5+ Kxh5 2 Rh2 mate or 1 Ng8+ Kxh5 2 Rh2 mate

416: 1 Bh3+ Kf4 2 Nfl or Ne4 mate!

186
 MISCELLANEOUS

abcdefgh abcdefgh
417 418

abcdefgh abcdefgh
419 420

Answers

417: 1 Nf7+Kg7 2 Bh6mate

418: Bc3+ Kh7 2 Bg6 mate

419: 1 Qf4+ Kh5 2 Qg5 mate or 1 Qf4+ Kh3 2 Qg3 or NgS mate

420: 1 Nf5+ Ke8 2 Nxg7 mate

187
 MISCELLANEOUS

abcdefgh abcdefgh
421 422

abcdefgh
423 424

Answers

421: 1 Kc7+! Ka7 2 b6 mate

422: 1 Qxg7+ Bxg7 2 Nf6 mate

423: 1 Ne6! g6 2 hxg6 mate or 1 Ne6! g5 2 hxg6 en passant, mate

424: 1 Kf8! followed by 2 Rh5 mate

188
 A DICTIONARY OF CHESS TERMS

Active A piece is said to be active when it is well positioned.

Algebraic notation A system of notation for recording games,
as used throughout this book.
Back row The first rank of either side of the board.
Checkmate The position when a King cannot escape from
check.
Combination When a series of moves are made, compelling an
opponent to move in a particular way.
Defend To protect, guard or support a piece against an
attack.
Deflection A situation where a piece is forced away from its
required task.
Descriptive notation A system of notation for recording games
—see Appendix.
Development The action of bringing pieces on to squares
where they are more active.
Diagonals The slanting rows of squares, as shown on page 14
in diagrams 3 and 4. The longest diagonals are al-h8 (eight
black squares) and hl-a8 (eight white squares), whilst the
shortest are of two squares.
Discovered Attack A position in which one piece has been
moved to uncover an attack by a Queen, Rook of Bishop.
Discovered check A position in which one piece has been moved
to uncover check by another piece.
Double attack Two pieces attacked at the same time.
Double check A position in which a King is in check from two
pieces at once.
Doubled Pawns Pawns of the same colour standing on the same
file.
189
En passant A special kind of Pawn capturing move.
En prise A piece is said to be enprise when it is being attacked.
Escape square A square to which an attacked1 piece may go.
Exchange A series of moves in which each side captures pieces.
Exposed piece One which is unable to find shelter. A term
often referred to a King, i.e. an exposed King.
Files Lines of squares running directly from one player’s side
of the board to the other, as shown in diagram 1 on page 13.
Flight square An alternative term for escape square.
Forced move No other move possible.
Fork A particular type of double attack.
Gambit An opening where a piece (usually a Pawn) is given
up, with the idea of gaining an advantage in development.
Guard A piece which defends another, or a particular square.
Half open file A file on which there stands a Pawn (or Pawns)
of only one colour.
Illegal move A move that is not allowed: one that breaks the
rules of the game.
Interpose To move a piece in between an attacked piece and
its attacker.
Isolated Pawn One which has no Pawn of the same colour on
either of the adjoining files.
J’adoube ‘I adjust.’ Spoken by players when they wish to
make it clear that they are merely standing a piece correctly
on its square, and not making a move.
Lines Ranks, files or diagonals.
Major piece Queen or Rook.
Master National chess title awarded to selected players who
have achieved a particularly high standard of chess in com­
petitive play at an advanced level. The title of International
Master is awarded by the International Chess Federation—
‘Federation Internationale des Fchecs’ (F.I.D.fi.)—who also
award the highest title of all, that of Grandmaster.
Minor piece Bishop or Knight.
Mobile Able to move freely.
Open file A file on which there are no Pawns.
190
 Opening The first few moves of a game.
Overworked piece A piece which is performing two 01 more
defensive roles at the same time.
Passed Pawn A Pawn which has no opponent’s Pawn in front
of it, on its own file; and which in moving to the queening
square does not have to pass an opponent’s Pawn on either
of the two adjoining files.
Passive Not performing any useful function: non-active.
Perpetual check A situation where check can be repeated nonstop.
Pin A piece is pinned when it cannot move without exposing
another piece to attack.
Promotion When a Pawn, reaching the edge rank, is replaced
by another piece of its own colour. This may be any piece
except a King, but such promotion is usually to a Queen
(queening). When a Pawn becomes a Rook, Knight or
Bishop, this is called under-promotion.
Queening Promoting a Pawn to a Queen.
Ranks Rows of squares which run from left to right, from the
point of view of a player facing the board, as shown in
diagram 1 on page 13.
Sacrifice Giving up a piece in order to gain some kind of
advantage.
Simultaneous display An event in which one player plays a
number of opponents at the same time, where the principal
player makes a move on each board in turn.
Skewer An attack upon two pieces on the same line, where the
piece nearest the attacker is compelled to move, leaving the
other piece to be taken.
Smothered mate A checkmate by a Knight, where all the escape
squares of the King are occupied by other pieces.
Stalemate A drawn position where a player is not in check,
but is unable to move any piece.
: Tempo Time taken to move pieces into required positions. A
manoeuvre that need take only one move but is performed in
two moves is said to lose a tempo. To force your opponent
to make such time-wasting moves gains tempo for you.
191
Trapped No escape.
Under-promotion Promoting a Pawn to a Rook, Knight or
Bishop.
Win (or winning) A position said to be a win, or where one
side has winning chances, means that although no immediate
checkmate is threatened, the side with the win will even­
tually checkmate or force the resignation of his opponent.
Wing The right or left-hand side of the board.
Winning the exchange Gaining advantage in material as the
result of an exchange of pieces. Generally this refers to
capturing Rook for Knight or Bishop.
! A good move.
? A bad move.

192
 Solutions
(Of quiz page no. 70 to page no. 73)

1. 1 h5-h6, Kf6-g6; 2h6 h7, Resigns because after 2 . . .

Kg6Xh7; 3 Kg4-f5, and the white King marches across
and swallows up the black Pawns on a5 and b6, with an
easy win.

2. 1 Kb5-c4, Resigns. The game may have continued 1.. .

f6 f5. White’s plan would be to take advantage of the
Queen side Pawn majority of 2 v 1. Thus 2 a4 a5, b6Xa5
3 b4 x a5, Ke5 d6; or else the white Pawn on file a
queens, 4a5-a6, Kd6-c6, 5 Kc4xd4, and while the
black King is having to deal with the passed Pawn on a6,
the white King captures the deserted black Pawns, with
an easy win.

3. 1 . . . Be5 c3 1 and after 2 Bdl b6, e3 e2; 3 Bb6-f2,

e2-el — Q; 4 Bf2 X el, Bc3 x el; and Black will win, with
a Bishop to the good.
4. 1 Bb3-a4 : and wins. For if 1 . . . Nb6 x a4; 2 a7 a8 Q !
and whatever else Black plays, he cannot prevent Ba4-c6,
forcing the loss of the black Knight when the Pawn on a7
queens. With a Bishop advantage, White would win the
ending easily.

193
5. 1 Ra7 X b7 ! Resigns. For if 1 . . . Qc7 X b7; 2Qg8--f7+,
Kd7-c8; to save the black Queen. Then 3 Nf5-d6+
follows, and the black Queen is lost. The black move
1 . . . Re2xf2+ followed by 2 Kh2Xh3 only .puts off
White’s combination for one move.
6. 1 Qf4 c7, Resigns. For White threatened Qc7-e7#. If
1 . . . Bf5-d7; 2Qc7-d8 + , Kf6 f5; 3 Rg2~g5 + , Rh5xg5;
4Rg7 g5 + , Kf5 c6; 5 Qd8-e7#. If 1 . . . Qd5 c6;
2 Qc7-d8+, Qe6e7;3 Qd8xe7#. If 1 . . . Qd5-d7;
2 Qc7-e5#-
7. 1 Re5xh5+ winning a Pawn, and after 1 . . . Kh8-g7;
2 Qe4 f4 threatens both the Rook on d6 and a check on
h6, forcing the black King into the open. 2 Qe4-e5 +
provides an alternative sustained attack. Capturing the
white Rook on the first move lost the game quickly for
Black. ]Re5' h5-L, g6xh5; 2 Qe4-e5+, Resigns for
mate follows, for example, 2 . . . f7-f6; 3 Qe5 x h5# or
2 . . . Kh8 h7; 3 Qe5-g7#.
8. 1 Ba2 d5 I preventing the black Knight from moving
without loss. 1 . . . Ke8-f8; 2 Ke6d7; Kf8-g7; 3 e5 e6,
. Kg7-f8; e6-e74- and queens net move.
9. 1 . . . Kc4 b5: 2 a7-a8-Q, Kb5-b6 !; 3 Qa8a5r,
Kb6 a5; 4 Kb8 a8, Ka5 a6 or b6; 5 Ka8rb8, Q mates.
If 3 Qa8-c6 X (a last desperate fling), not 3 .. . Qd7 X c6 ?
stalemate; but 3 . . ■ Kba x c6, etc.
10. !Bg4xe6+!If the black King does not capture the
Bishop, then it will capture Black’s Queen, with a certain
draw. But after 1 . . . Kf7 Xe6; 2Nb7-c5+. If the
King moves, the black Queen is lost, and the game would
be a draw. If 2 . . . Na4 X c5 this is a draw by stalemate !

194
 Be a master of endgame technique, its
principles and applications. Never miss a
chance to force checkmate on your
opponent.
This book brings together all the
information regarding basics of endgame
in a unique, effective and simplest
possible way. It has been profusely
illustrated (more than 400 diagrams) and
the text as well as the examples have
been arranged according to type and in
order of complexity. The reader knowing
almost nothing about the game can
progress step by step to quite an
advanced standard. At the same time the
expert player can use this book as a
constant companion for revision and
widen their scope.
An important addition to the existing
chess literature, this book will go a long
way to help you to progress on the road to
chess mastery and chess-championship

panto] booby*