Chapter 7 - Practical Checkmates

Though there are many aspects of chess that require study, the checkmate process remains the basic bit of knowledge required of every chess player.

Most players, although they need and would like to have more knowledge about checkmates, find that is unfortunately hard to come by. Most of the checkmate positions we ordinarily see are from made-up or composed problems. These often have elements of striking beauty, but they lack practical value. We do not see how they can be applied in our own games.

The diagrams and solutions in this chapter, however, show us checkmates taken from actual play. They are taken from situations that really happened in tournament play. That is what makes them so immensely valuable for us. When you have studied them and gained an understanding of these checkmates, you will be less at a loss on how to bring a game to a satisfactory end. Knowing these checkmates, then, is a step toward playing decisive chess with a clear goal before you.

All the checkmates described in this chapter have one outstanding feature in common. Regardless of whether the winner has a plus in material or not, he wins by some bright turn, some neat sequence. In other words, inspiration, rather than material advantage, is the keynote to many of these checkmates.

What has been accomplished once, can be accomplished repeatedly. Study, analyze, and understand these ingenious checkmates. When you know them well you will be able to apply these brilliant winning methods in your own games, and this will not only make you a better player but also increase your enjoyment of the game.

Solutions 131

1 QxNch          PxQ
2 B—QR6 mate

132

1 Q—R6          PxQ
2 NxP mate

133

1 QxNch          RxQ
2 R—Q8ch      Q—Kl
3 RxQch          R—Bl
4 RxR mate

134

1 QxRch          KxQ
2 R—K8 mate

Solutions 135

1 P—R8/Qch   RxQ
2 N—B5ch      K—Nl
3 RxRch           KxR
4 Q—R6ch      any
5 Q—N7 mate

136

1 Q—KR8ch   KxQ
2 P—N7ch      K—Nl
3 B—R7ch       KxB
4 P—N8/Q mate

137

1 QxPch           PxQ
2 P—N7ch      K—R2
3 PxR/Nch       K—Rl
4 R—N8mate

138

1 QxPch           PxQ
2 P—B7ch       QxP
3 R—R8 mate

Solutions

139

1 R—R8ch       KxR
2 R—Rich        K—Nl
3 R—R8ch       KxR
4 Q—Rich       Q—R7
5 QxQch          K—Nl
6 Q—R7 mate

140

1 N—K7ch      QxN
2 QxRPch        KxQ
3 R—R5ch       K—Nl
4 R—R8 mate

141

1 N—K7ch      QxN
2 R—R8ch       KxR

Or 2 ... K—B2; 3 Q—R5ch and mate next move.

3 Q—R5ch      K—Nl
4 Q—R7ch      K—B2
5 B—N6 mate

142

1 R—R8ch       BxR
2 RxBch           KxR
3 Q—R6ch      K—Nl
4 N—B6 mate

Solutions 143

1 QxNch          BxQ
2 NxP mate

144

1 Q—K7         Q—B2
2 Q—B8ch      RxQ
3 RxR mate

145

1 R—B8ch       QxR
2 QxNPch        RxQ
3 RxR mate

146

1 R—N8 dbl ch KxR
2 R—KN1 mate

Solution 147

1 N—K7 dbl ch K—Rl
2 N—N6ch      PxN
3 RPxN dis ch Q—R5
4 RxQ mate

148

1 Q—Q7ch      BxQ
2 N—Q6 dis ch           K—Ql
3 N—B7ch      K—Bl
4 R—K8ch      BxR
5 R—Q8 mate

149

1 Q_Q8ch        KxQ
2 B—R5 dbl ch K any
3 R—Q8 mate

150

1 B—B8 dis ch B—R4
2 QxBch          PxQ
3 R—R6 mate

Solutions

151

1 QxPch           KxQ
2 R—QR3ch    K—N2
3 B—R6ch       K—R2
4 B—QB8 mate

152

1 R_N7ch        K—Bl
2 RxQPdisch    K—Nl
3 R—KN7ch   K—Bl
4 R—N7 dis ch            K—Nl
5 RxRch           N—Bl
6 RxN mate

153

1 QxRPch        BxQ
2 P—B7 dis ch P—K4
3 BxKP mate

154

1 Q—R8ch      N—Nl
2 QxPch           KxQ
3 BxB dis ch     K—Rl
4 RxNch          KxR
5 R—Nlch       K—Rl
6 B—B6 mate

Solutions

155

1 R—N3ch      PxR
2 BxPch           KxB
3 RPxR dis ch  B—R6
4 RxBch           K—Nl
5 Q—R8 mate

(Or 5 R—R8 mate or 5 Q—N5 mate.)

156

1 B—R7ch       K—Rl
2 B—N8 dis ch KxB

(Or 2 ... B—R3; 3 Q—R7 mate.)

3 Q—R7 mate

157

1 Q—B6 mate

158

1 QxPch           KxQ
2 R—KR5 mate

Black Moves First

Solutions

159

1 . . . .  QxNch
2 RxQ  R—N8ch
3 Q—Ql          RxQcK
4 R—Bl           B—Q5ch
5 K—Rl           RxR mate

160

1 . . . . QxPch
2 KxQ R—R5ch
3 K—Nl          R—R8ch
4 NxR  PxN/Q mate
161

1 . . . .  Q—Q3ch
2 K—R3          N—B5ch
3 K—N3         N—R4 dbl ch
4 K—R3          Q—N6ch
5 RxQ  N—B5 mate

162

1 . . . .  QxPch
2 NxQ NxP mate

Solutions

163

1 ....     N—B7ch
2 QxN QxN mate

164

1 R—K8ch
2 NxR

(Or 2 QxR, QxN mate.)

2          Q—R8 mate

165

1 Q—N7ch
2 KxQ RxNP mate

166

1 N—B6 mate

Solutions

167

1 . . . .  B—Q6 dbl ch
2 K—Kl          R—B8 mate

168

1 . . . . N—R5 dis ch
2 K—Kl
(Or 2 K—Nl, Q—KN5 mate.)

2 ....     NxN mate

169

1 . . . .  R—KR3ch
2 K—Nl          R—R8ch
3 KxR  Q—R6ch
4 K—Nl          QxP(N7) mate

170

1 . . . .  K—R2
2 B—Kl           K—R3
3 B—B3          K—R4
4 B—Kl           K—N5
5 B—B3          PxPch
6 RxPch           K—R6
7 any    BxR mate

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