CHAPTER 5:

MATING COMBINATIONS
In the last chapter you were learning to look ahead in the ending. In particular, you were learning to remember positions which were won or drawn and head for them.

You can use the same sort of idea in the middle game as well. Certain arrangements of pieces will give you the chance to force checkmate. You can win games by remembering these positions and heading for them in your own games.

In this chapter you'll meet some positions like this. In each case a series of FORCING MOVES including a SACRIFICE leads, at least in the main variation, to checkmate. Most of the moves are checks: if you check your opponent he will usually only have a few moves to choose from. So it's pretty easy for you to learn to look ahead.
XABCDEFGH
8r+-+-+k+(
7zpp+-+pzpp'
6-+-+-+-+&
5+-+-+-+-%
4-+-+-+-+$
3+-+Q+-+P#
2Pwq-+-zPP+"
1+-+R+-mK-!
xabcdefgh
Diagram 64
White to move

The first sacrifice you play in a game will probably look something like Diagram 64. It's White to play. Choose your move. Black's King is stuck on the back rank. I hope you've already seen the answer. Qd3-d8+ forces Ra8xd8, when Rd1xd8 is mate. If you just play chess one move at a time Qd3-d8+ looks crazy, putting the Queen where it can be taken. But if you think ahead, in sequences of moves, you'll see that it's really a good move.
XABCDEFGH
8rsnl+kvl-tr(
7zpp+-+pzpp'
6-+p+-+-+&
5+-+-wq-+-%
4-+-+n+-+$
3+-+Q+-+-#
2PzPPvL-zPPzP"
1+-mKR+LsNR!
xabcdefgh
Diagram 65
White to move

These positions are all about looking ahead and putting moves together. You may remember Diagram 65 from MOVE ONE. It's from a friendly game between two Grandmasters played in 1910. Richard Réti was White and Saviely Tartakower was Black. What should White play here? Once you know the first move's a check you should be able to work it out. He kicks off with the startling Qd3-d8+!! Black has no choice: Ke8xd8. Now the King has been DECOYED into the sphere of influence of the Rook on d1. A move buy the Bishop on d2 will be DISCOVERED CHECK, or, better still, DOUBLE CHECK. The right move is Bd2-g5+. Double check, so Black must move his King. He has two choices: 1... Kd8-c7 2. Bg5-d8# or 1... Kd8-e8 2. Rd1-d8#. If you turn back again to the game between Morphy and the Duke and the Count in Masters of the Universe 2, you'll see that the mating position, with Rook and Bishop, in that game is the same as this mate.

XABCDEFGH
8-+ktr-+-tr(
7zpp+nwqpvl-'
6-+p+psn-zp&
5+-+-+-zp-%
4-+-zP-+-+$
3+-sN-+QvLP#
2PzPP+-zPP+"
1+-+RtRLmK-!
xabcdefgh
Diagram 66
White to move

Some of these mating sacrifices crop up so often that they've been given names. Select a move for White in Diagram 66. The answer is Qf3xc6+, forcing b7xc6 when Bf1-a6 is mate. This is known as BODEN'S MATE, after a 19th century English played called Samuel Boden. It happens most often against an opponent who's castled Queen-side.

XABCDEFGH
8r+-+-trk+(
7+-+-+pzpp'
6p+-+-+-+&
5wqpzpN+-+Q%
4-+-snPzP-+$
3z+P+-tR-+-#
2P+-+-+PzP"
1+-+-tR-+K!
xabcdefgh
Diagram 67
White to move

The next one's called ANASTASIA'S MATE, because it featured in a novel written in 1803 called Anastasia and Chess. Can you find it? White to play in Diagram 67. This time the sacrifice is on the second move. 1. Nd5-e7+ Kg8-h8 2. Qh5xh7+! Kh8xh7 3. Re3-h3#. But 1. Qh5-h7+ doesn't work. Do you see why? 1. Qh5-h7+? Kg8xh7 2. Re3-h3+ Kh7-g6 (not Kh7-g8 when Nd5-e7 really is mate) 3. Nd5-e7+ Kg6-f6 and Black escapes. This position should teach you an important lesson. Always assume your opponent will play the BEST move, not what you want him to play.

XABCDEFGH
8r+-+r+k+(
7+l+-vl-zpp'
6-+p+-+-+&
5+-+-zp-sN-%
4pzp-+P+PzP$
3wqP+-+P+-#
2P+Q+-vL-+"
1+KtR-+-tR-!
xabcdefgh
Diagram 68
White to move

In Diagram 68 you have to look further ahead. Have a go yourself before you look at the answer, You may need to move the pieces on the board to solve this one. The answer runs like this: 1. Qc2-c4+ Kg8-h8 (or 1... Kg8-f8 2. Qc4-f7#) 2. Ng5-f7+ Kh8-g8. Now the Black King is lined up for a DISCOVERED CHECK or DOUBLE CHECK. White must choose the best Knight move. 3. Nf8-h6+ (DOUBLE CHECK) 3... Kg8-h8 (again, if 3... Kg8-f8, 4. Qc4-f7#) 4. Qc4-g8+! Re8xg8 5. Nh6-f7#! You can see why this is known as SMOTHERED MATE. The whole sequence is called PHILIDOR'S LEGACY, after the strongest player of the 18th century.

XABCDEFGH
8rsnl+-trk+(
7zpp+-wqpzpp'
6-+-+p+-+&
5+-+pzP-+-%
4-+pzP-+Q+$
3+-zPL+N+-#
2P+P+-zPPzP"
1tR-+-mK-+R!
xabcdefgh
Diagram 69
White to move

Our next example, Diagram 69, includes a quiet move - one that doesn't give check. The Bishop sacrifice on h7 is part of the armoury of every strong player. This is a simple example. It's from Yates-Marín, played in the 1930 Chess Olympiad at Hamburg. Frederick Yates notched up a point for England by playing 1. Bd3xh7+ when Black resigned. If 1... Kg8xh7 2. Qg4-h5+ Kh7-g8 3. Nf3-g5 (the quiet move) 3... Rf8-d8 (he could only avoid mate by giving up his Queen: Qe7xg5) 4. Qh5-h7+ Kg8-f8 5. Qh7-h8#. Or if 1... Kg8-h8, 2. Qg4-h5, followed by a deadly DISCOVERED CHECK.

XABCDEFGH
8-+-+-tr-mk(
7+-+-+Lzpp'
6p+p+Qvl-+&
5+pwq-+-+-%
4-+-+Pzp-+$
3+-+-+-+R#
2Ptr-+-zPPzP"
1+-+-+RmK-!
xabcdefgh
Diagram 70

Finally, try your hand at Diagram 70. White to move. What would you play? This one's rather like ANASTASIA'S MATE, but with a Bishop on f7 instead of a Knight on e7. So: 1. Rh3xh7+ Kh8xh7 2. Qe6-h3+ Bf6-h4 3. Qh3xh4+ Qc5-h5 4. Qh4xh5#. But I misled you. It wasn't really White's move at all. It was Black's move in the game Vilup-Pitksar, Tallinn 1956. What did he play? Stop again and decide on your answer before you read on. I wonder if you came up with this answer: 1... Rb2xf2 2. Rf1xf2 Qc5-c1+ 3. Rf2-f1 Bf6-d4+ 4. Rh3-e3 Bd4xe3+ 5. Kg1-h1 (The Rook on f1's PINNED) 5... Qc1xf1#. Well, that's very clever, but also very wrong! There's no law in chess that says you have to recapture. White would instead carry out his threat: 2. Rh3xh7+, leading to mate, as we've already seen. No, we have to start with a CHECK to force him to recapture. 1... Qc5xf2+! 2. Rf1xf2 (or 2. Kg1-h1 Qf2xf1#) 2... Rb2-b1+ 3. Rf2-f1 Bf6-d4+ 4. Rh3-e3 Bd4xe3+ 5. Kg1-h1 Rb1xf1#. You always have to be very careful when playing chess. A moment's carelessness will turn a hard-earned win into a loss.

Now have a go at the quiz. Here's how to go about it.

1. LOOK AT EVERY CHECK

2. FOLLOW THROUGH ALL SEQUENCES OF CHECKS UNTIL YOU EITHER REACH MATE OR RUN OUT OF CHECKS.

3. YOUR ANSWER WILL BE A MOVE THAT FORCES MATE AGAINST EVERY POSSIBLE DEFENCE.

To help you, in each position White can force mate by a series of checks. In some, maybe all, the positions there will be at least one sacrifice somewhere in the solution.

Try first of all to solve the positions in your head. You can try moving the pieces around in a real game. So you really need to get used to visualising these checkmates.

QUIZ

As promised, ten positions with forced checkmates. All the moves in each position will be checks. Don't just write down the first move. We want your first move, and then every move of every variation leading to mate. Just as they were written down in the examples you played through.

Q1.
XABCDEFGH
8-mk-+-+-+(
7+p+-+-zpp'
6-zPp+-zpq+&
5+-vL-tr-+-%
4-zP-+-+-+$
3+-+-+-+P#
2-+-tr-+PwQ"
1+-+-+RmK-!
xabcdefgh
White to move
Q2.
XABCDEFGH
8-+-+-+-+(
7+-+-+-vlp'
6-tR-+-+p+&
5zp-+-zp-+-%
4kzp-+r+Ptr$
3+-+RvL-+-#
2PzPP+K+-+"
1+-+-+-+-!
xabcdefgh
White to move
Q3.
XABCDEFGH
8r+-+r+k+(
7zplzp-+-vl-'
6-zp-+-wqQ+&
5+-+p+-sN-%
4-+-zP-+-+$
3+-sN-zP-+-#
2PzP-+-zPP+"
1tR-+-mK-+R!
xabcdefgh
White to move
Q4.
XABCDEFGH
8r+-+-+-mk(
7+-+-zp-+p'
6-+-zpQ+pvL&
5+-zpPvl-zP-%
4-+-+-+-+$
3zPR+-+-+-#
2KzP-+-zP-+"
1+-wq-sN-+-!
xabcdefgh
Black to move
Q5.
XABCDEFGH
8r+-+-trk+(
7+p+-+pzpp'
6-zppzp-+-+&
5+-+-zp-+-%
4-+-zPPsn-+$
3+LsN-+-snq#
2PzPPwQ-tR-sN"
1+-+R+-mK-!
xabcdefgh
Black to move
Q6.
XABCDEFGH
8-+-+-+-mk(
7zp-+-+q+p'
6-zpl+-+-+&
5+-zp-+-+-%
4-+-+L+-wQ$
3+-zP-vL-+-#
2P+-+-+-zP"
1+-+-+-+K!
xabcdefgh
Black to move
Q7.
XABCDEFGH
8rsnlwq-mkr+(
7zppzp-+-+p'
6-+-zp-+-+&
5+-+-+-+-%
4-+-zPPzp-+$
3+Q+-+p+-#
2PzP-+-+PzP"
1tRNvL-+RmK-!
xabcdefgh
Black to move
Q8.
XABCDEFGH
8-+r+ntrk+(
7zp-+-wqp+p'
6-zp-+p+pwQ&
5snP+ltR-+-%
4-+-+-+-+$
3zP-+L+-+-#
2-vLP+-zPPzP"
1+-+R+-mK-!
xabcdefgh
White to move
Q9.
XABCDEFGH
8r+-wq-+rmk(
7zppzp-+p+p'
6-+-vl-zpn+&
5+-+-+R+Q%
4-+-zP-+-+$
3+-zP-+-+N#
2PzP-+-+PzP"
1tR-vL-+-mK-!
xabcdefgh
White to move
Q10.
XABCDEFGH
8r+q+-+ktr(
7+p+-+-zp-'
6p+p+-tR-zp&
5+-+-+p+-%
4-+-+-+PzP$
3zP-+-wQ-+-#
2-zP-+-+P+"
1+-+R+-+K!
xabcdefgh
White to move
When you mark this test, you get full credit only if you saw all the variations given in the answers at the back of the book. If you missed out one or more variations in your answer to any question you lose half a point. So you may have found it quite hard to reach the pass mark of 8 our of 10. If you didn't make it have another go in a couple of days time.

ACTIVITIES

In the next chapter we're back to the openings. Another variation of the Giuoco Piano, and a rather different one. It starts like this:

1. e2-e4 e7-e5
2. Ng1-f3 Nb8-c6
3. Bf1-c4 Bf8-c5
4. c2-c3 Ng8-f6
5. d2-d4

giving you Diagram 71.

XABCDEFGH
8r+lwqk+-tr(
7zppzpp+pzpp'
6-+n+-sn-+&
5+-vl-zp-+-%
4-+LzPP+-+$
3+-zP-+N+-#
2PzP-+-zPPzP"
1tRNvLQmK-+R!
xabcdefgh
Diagram 71
White to move

Play some games with this opening, writing down your moves, before reading the next chapter. If you turn back to the game Steinitz-Von Bardeleben from Masters of the Universe 3 you'll have some idea of how the game might continue.

One tip for learning openings that you might find helpful if you've got a chess computer or chess-playing software for your PC (and if you haven't it's well worth getting one or the other). Most chess computers (except the very cheapest ones) have some opening knowledge built in. You can usually tell when they're still in their 'opening book' because they reply at once without stopping to think. By experimenting with your computer you can find out how much of the opening it knows and learn it from the computer.

Masters of the Universe 5

In the last chapter you read about Emanuel Lasker, one of the greatest of all World Champions. His conqueror in the 1921 World Championship match was another of the strongest players of all time, José Raoul Capablanca, from Cuba.

Capablanca, like Morphy, was a chess prodigy. He was born in 1888 and learned chess at the age of 4 by watching his father play. Although he had never been taught the moves he accused his father of cheating by moving his Knight from one white square to another. His father challenged him to a game. They played twice and the youngster won both games. When he was 8 he joined Havana Chess Club, where he was soon able to beat all but the very best players in Cuba. At the age of 13 he won a match against the Cuban champion Juan Corzo. In 1909 he thrashed the American champion Frank Marshall 8-1 with fourteen draws. His challenge for the world title was delayed by the First World War, but in 1921 he beat Lasker by four wins to none with ten draws.

At his best, Capablanca was almost unbeatable. Indeed, at one point in his career, between 1916 and 1924, he didn't lose a match or tournament game in eight years! He was particularly famous for his endgame play and preferred simple positions to complicated ones. Here's a short game.
White: Jose Capablanca Black: Charles Jaffe
New York 1910
Opening: Queen's Gambit Declined

1. d2-d4 d7-d5
2. Ng1-f3 Ng8-f6
3. e2-e3 c7-c6
4. c2-c4 e7-e6
5. Nb1-c3 Nb8-d7
6. Bf1-d3 Bf8-d6
7. 0-0 0-0
8. e3-e4 d5xe4
9. Nc3xe4 Nf6xe4
10. Bd3xe4 (Diagram 72)
XABCDEFGH
8r+lwq-trk+(
7zpp+n+pzpp'
6-+pvlp+-+&
5+-+-+-+-%
4-+PzPL+-+$
3+-+-+N+-#
2PzP-+-zPPzP"
1tR-vLQ+RmK-!
xabcdefgh
Diagram 72
Black to move

White has gained control of the centre from the opening. Black should hit back with c6-c5 now if he wants an equal game.

10... Nd7-f6?
11. Be4-c2 h7-h6

White's plan was Bc1-g5, then Qd1-d3, Bg5xf6 and Qd3xh7#. Black prevents this at the cost of a slight weakness in his King's defences.

12. b2-b3 b7-b6
13. Bc1-b2 Bc8-b7
14. Qd1-d3

Now the idea is d4-d5, Bb2xf6 and Qd3-h7#. Black again chooses a defence which weakens his King's position.

14... g7-g6?
15. Ra1-e1 Nf6-h5?

16. Bb2-c1 Kg8-g7 (Diagram 73)

XABCDEFGH
8r+-wq-tr-+(
7zpl+-+pmk-'
6-zppvlp+pzp&
5+-+-+-+n%
4-+PzP-+-+$
3+P+Q+N+-#
2P+L+-zPPzP"
1+-vL-tRRmK-!
xabcdefgh
Diagram 73
White to move

17. Re1xe6!

DECOY! 17... f7xe6 loses to 18. Qd3xg6+ Kg7-h8 18. Qg6-h7#.

17... Nh5-f6
18. Nf3-e5!

Trapping his own Rook! Now f7xe6 loses to 19. Qd3xg6+ Kg7-h8 20. Qg6xh6+ Kh8-g8 21. Qh6-g6+ Kg8-h8 22. Rf1-e1! and Black has no good defence to the threat of Re1-e3 and Re3-h3#. For example 22,,, Qd8-c7 23. Re1-e3 Qc7-g7 24. Re3-h3+ Kh8-g8 25. Qg6xg7+ Kg8xg7 26. Bc1-h6+ Kg7-h8 (26... Kg7-g8 27. Rh3-g3+ Nf6-g4 28. Rg3xg4+ Kg8-h8 29. Bh6-g7+ Kh8-g8 30. Bg7-f6#) 27. Bh6xf8+ Kh8-g8 28. Bf8xd6. The only way Black could stay in the game was Bd6xe5, leaving him a pawn down in a rotten position.

18... c6-c5?
19. Bc1xh6+! Kg7xh6

Other moves are hopeless, but now White has a forced mate. If you've solved the last quiz you'll be able to find it so stop and have a look before reading on.

20. Ne5xf7+

DESTROY! After 20... Rf8xf7, Kh6-g7 or Kh6-h7, 21. Qd3xg6 is mate. And after 20... Kh6-h5, 21. Qd3-h3 is mate. So Black resigned

Black lost the game because he lost control of the centre in the opening, and then advanced the pawns in front of his King.

While Capablanca was winning the World Championship another chess prodigy was hitting the headlines. His name was Sammy Reshevsky. Sammy was born in Poland in, it was claimed, 1911, and, like Capablanca, learned chess by watching his father play. When he was only 4 he could beat almost everyone in his village. By the age of 6 he was giving simultaneous displays. In 1920, when he was 8, he toured Europe giving displays in all the capital cities. He then went to America where he toured for another two years. In 1922, two months before his 11th birthday. he played in a master tournament and won a game against a famous Grandmaster, David Janowsky. Sammy then gave up chess for a few years to concentrate on his education. Between 1935 and 1955 he was one of the world's strongest players, and even in the late 1980s he was still playing and beating Grandmasters. He died in 1992 at the age of 80.

After his death some of his friends said Reshevsky had told them that he was really born in 1909, not 1911. If this is true it makes his early achievements slightly less remarkable but his results in old age even more so.

Here's a game from the first display of his European tour. Remember that he was only 8 (or perhaps 10) at the time and was playing 20 strong adult opponents at once. (He won 16 and drew 4.)

White: Sammy Reshevsky Black: Zabludovsky
Berlin 1920
Opening: Ruy Lopez

1. e2-e4 e7-e5
2. Ng1-f3 Nb8-c6
3. Bf1-b5 d7-d6
4. d2-d4 e5xd4
5. Nf3xd4 Bc8-d7
6. Nb1-c3 Nc6xd4
7. Qd1xd4 Ng8-f6
8. 0-0 h7-h6?

A weak move for two reasons. Firstly, it's a waste of time, and, secondly, it weakens his King's defences.

9. f2-f4 Bd7xb5
10. Nc3xb5 a7-a6
11. Nb5-c3 Bf8-e7
12. h2-h3 (Diagram 74)

XABCDEFGH
8r+-wqk+-tr(
7+pzp-vlpzp-'
6p+-zp-sn-zp&
5+-+-+-+-%
4-+-wQPzP-+$
3+-sN-+-+P#
2PzPP+-+P+"
1tR-vL-+RmK-!
xabcdefgh
Diagram 74
Black to move

When Black played h7-h6 he was awarded a question mark, but now White does the same thing. Let's try to explain.

a) White wants to play Bc1-e3 without the Bishop being molested by Nf6-g4.

b) White plans a King-side attack with g2-g4 and possibly g4-g5. It is precisely because Black has created a weakness with h7-h6 that White can play this attack.

c) White has more control over the centre. This means that he is in a position to start an attack. Black cannot start an attack against White's weakened King because his position is too cramped.

12... 0-0
13. Qd4-f2 Nf6-e8
14. g2-g4 c7-c6

15. Bc1-e3 c6-c5?

An important mistake. Again we need to explain why.

a) White can now put a Knight on d5, right in the middle of enemy territory, without it ever being attacked by a pawn.

b) White can attack the Pawn on d6 with his Rooks on the d-file. Black will always be tied town to defending this pawn with his pieces, rather than with a pawn.

16. Ra1-d1 b7-b6
17. e4-e5 Qd8-c7
18. Nc3-d5 Qc7-b7
19. Qf2-g2

The White Queen's laser gun is aimed menacingly at her undefended opposite number. The threat is Nd5-f6+ (AMBUSH!).

19... Ra8-a7
20. Rf1-e1

Setting up another AMBUSH! The idea is 21. Nd5xe7+ Qb7xe7 22. e5xd6 Ne8xd6 23. Be3xc5, with a DOUBLE ATTACK on the Queen on e7 and the Knight on d6.

20... d6xe5
21. f4xe5 Be7-h4
22. Be3-f2 Bh4xf2+
23. Qg2xf2 Kg8-h8? (Diagram 75)

XABCDEFGH
8-+-+ntr-mk(
7trq+-+pzp-'
6pzp-+-+-zp&
5+-zpNzP-+-%
4-+-+-+P+$
3+-+-+-+P#
2PzPP+-wQ-+"
1+-+RtR-mK-!
xabcdefgh
Diagram 75
White to move

Overlooking White's reply, which works because the Rook on f8 is now unprotected.

24. e5-e6! f7-f6
25. Nd5-f4 Kh8-h7
26. e6-e7

Missing a quicker win: 26. Nf4-g6! Kh7xg6 27. Qf2-f5#, or 26... Rf8-g8 27. Qf2-f5 followed by Ng6-f8+ and Qf5-h7#. Black can only prevent this by giving up his Rook.

26... Rf8-f7
27. Rd1-d8 Ra7-a8
28. Qf2-g2! Qb7xg2+

29. Nf4xg2!

Defending the Rook on e1, so that if 29... Rf7xe7 30. Rd8xa8 Re7xe1+ 31. Ng2xe1. Whatever he does he loses a lot of material so Black resigns.
LESSONS FROM CHAPTER 5

1. IF YOU'RE ATTACKING THE KING, LOOK AT ALL SEQUENCES OF CHECKS AND TRY TO ANALYSE THEM UNTIL YOU REACH MATE OR RUN OUT OF CHECKS.

2. LOOK FOR YOUR OPPONENT'S MATING THREATS AS WELL AS YOUR OWN.

3. ALWAYS ASSUME YOUR OPPONENT WILL PLAY HIS BEST MOVE, NOT THE ONE YOU WANT HIM TO PLAY.

4. BE LIKE CAPABLANCA, WHO ONLY PLAYED SACRIFICES IF HE WAS SURE THEY WERE GOING TO WORK.