One of the big challenges for some chessplayers is knowing when they’ve won. Sometimes a checkmate is staring them in the face, but they don’t see it. These chess problems are designed to help you recognize checkmate.
The problems come in pairs labeled “A” and “B.” In the “A” problems, White can checkmate on the next move: move, bang, win! Each “B” problem takes the position back one step: White makes a move that forces Black to respond, then White makes another move and wins. The B problem winds up in the same position as the A problem.
Stare at them a while. They’ll make you stronger. And feel free to discuss them in the comments.
1A — Mate in One Move
1B — Mate in Two Moves
2A — Mate in One Move (Note that White can’t move the rook on g1.)
2B — Mate in Two Moves
Hm… In both cases, the queen is sacrificed in a (successful) attempt to win. That coincidence?
That’s the theme of this problem set. The Big Ideas are that (1) in the end, checkmate is all that matters, (2) all pieces are disposable in order to get there, and (3) even crazy-looking moves are worth considering.
The Lesser (but still important) Idea is that when a king is backed into a corner or can’t move to many squares, one piece can be all it takes to deliver checkmate.
2- Ah. Interesting.
You’re right. I thought about it in that frame of mind. Doesn’t matter what I sacrifice as long as I win the game. Hm.
Solved them all without help! *grins*
I was best at getting the B boards into the A positions.
Ah, but would you have found the checkmates in a real game? Or even looked for them? That’s the question.
My problem when I play chess is that I sacrifice too much and don’t have any pieces to take out the other king with. I play against my brother, and he’s not exactly the most difficult opponent, but I’m still not really good at strategizing.
Of course, you shouldn’t just throw away pieces without a good reason. You have to see clearly what you’re trying to accomplish and have good reasons to think it’s going to work. In these positions, the sacrifices lead immediately to forced checkmates, so they aren’t really sacrifices at all.
Solved ’em. Not terribly difficult.
Again, they’re not hard to solve when you know there’s a mate in a certain number of moves. When you’re actually playing chess, though, the positions don’t come with labels. My purpose in posting these problems is to encourage you all to keep your eyes open for unexpected opportunities in real games. (How many of you would have actually played that queen move in Position 2B?)