THE KING GOES TO JAIL


The Black King had been captured and sentenced to death. By the GUILLOTINE. But first we have to corner him while making sure he doesn't escape. The White Rook is the jailer, but he needs the White King's help to force the Black King into the corner.


Remind yourself first what a KING AND ROOK CHECKMATE looks like. In the top diagram the Black King is on the side of the board (it doesn't matter which side), the White King is two squares away towards the centre, and the White Rook gives check. If you move the White King to b6 or d6 is it still CHECKMATE? NO! The King can move to d7 or b7. In the corner it can look slightly different, as in the next diagram. Remember these positions. They're what you're aiming for when you have King and Rook against King.


We start with the White Rook on a1, the White King on e1 and the Black King on e5, as in the third diagram.


Before you start, a few hints on how to get checkmate.


1. Set up a prison wall across the board with your Rook.

2. Move your King up the board towards the Black King.

3. Set up another prison wall with your Rook, keeping the King in one corner of the board.

4. If you can make the prison smaller, do so.

5. If you can't make the prison smaller, play a WAITING MOVE with your King.

6. When the Black King is on the side of the board head for CHECKMATE.


Here's how it might work.


1. Ra1-a4


Setting up the prison wall. Just the same technique you've used with King and Queen.


1... Ke5-d5

2. Ke1-e2


Starting to move the King up the board.


2... Kd5-e5

3. Ke2-e3


Moving the King up again.


3... Ke5-d5

4. Ra4-e4 (Diagram)

Look at the diagram and see how the White Rook forms the walls of the prison. The Black King is now confined to a prison cell of sixteen squares. Whatever you do don't let the him get out of jail!

4... Kd5-c5

5. Re4-d4


Making the cell smaller. Now it's just twelve squares.


5... Kc5-c6

6. Ke3-e4


We can't make the prison any smaller yet so the King approaches.


6... Kc6-c5

7. Ke4-e5


Again the King approaches his opposite number.


7... Kc5-c6 (Diagram)


What move should White play next?


8. Rd4-d5


That's the right idea. We can make the box smaller again. Black's prison cell is now only nine squares. Don't play Rd4-d6, though. That allows the Black King to get out of jail by moving to c5.


8... Kc6-c7

9. Rd5-d6


The Black King is getting more and more cramped. He will never escape from the six squares a8, b8, c8. a7, b7 and c7.


9... Kc7-b7

10. Ke5-d5


Once more the King closes in.


10... Kb7-c7

11. Kd5-c5


And one more King move forces the Black King nearer the corner.


11... Kc7-b7 (Diagram)


What should White play now? He has two good moves.


12. Rd6-c6


Now the Black King's prison has only four squares. Another good move was Rd6-d7+, forcing the enemy King to the edge of the board.


12... Kb7-a7

13. Rc6-b6


Now the Black King can only move between a7 and a8.


13... Ka7-a8

14. Kc5-c6


The White King moves in for the kill.


14... Ka8-a7

15. Kc6-c7


Almost there. When he reaches the corner we'll be able to checkmate him.


15... Ka7-a8

16. Rb6-a6# (Diagram)



Next question: It's White's move in the diagram on your right. What's the quickest way to win?

It's not Kc7-c6. Black can go into the corner when White has no immediate mate, and must be careful not to play Rb6-b7, which would be STALEMATE!

If it was Black's move he would have to play Ka7-a8. What would White play then? Rb6-a6#!

So we want to force the Black King into the corner and we also need our King on b6. The way to do it is to move the Rook to c6 (or, if you prefer, d6, e6, f6, g6 or h6). Then the Black King has to move to a8 and the Rook moves back to a6 with CHECKMATE.






You can use the same idea to mate quickly in positions like this. What's the quickest way to win?

Ra6-a2 is good, but not the quickest way to win. Instead we can mate in 2 moves: Ra6-f6 and Black has only one reply: Ke1-d1. Then down comes the guillotine: Rf6-f1#.









By the way, what's White's quickest win in this position?

I hope you didn't suggest f7-f8=Q: that's STALEMATE! Kf6-e7, for instance, will win fairly quickly, but it's quicker to play f7-f8=R! Then Black must play Kh7-h6 and everyone knows what happens next.



HELPFUL HINTS


1. Make sure you KNOW the mating positions with King and Rook against King.


2. Make sure you KNOW the technique for driving the King to the side of the board: use your Rook to set up a prison cell with support from the King. If you can make the prison smaller, do so. If not, play a WAITING MOVE with the King.


3. Sometimes a WAITING MOVE with the Rook can force a quick mate. Make sure you KNOW this idea.


4. One day you will need to know this. It might be tomorrow, so learn it today!



XABCDEFGHY
8-+k+R+-+(
7+-+-+-+-'
6-+K+-+-+&
5+-+-+-+-%
4-+-+-+-+$
3+-+-+-+-#
2-+-+-+-+"
1+-+-+-+-!
xabcdefghy
CHECKMATE!

XABCDEFGHY
8k+-+R+-+(
7+-+-+-+-'
6-mK-+-+-+&
5+-+-+-+-%
4-+-+-+-+$
3+-+-+-+-#
2-+-+-+-+"
1+-+-+-+-!
xabcdefghy
CHECKMATE!

XABCDEFGHY
8-+-+-+-+(
7+-+-+-+-'
6-+-+-+-+&
5+-+-mk-+-%
4-+-+-+-+$
3+-+-+-+-#
2-+-+-+-+"
1tR-+-mK-+-!
xabcdefghy
White to move


























XABCDEFGHY
8-+-+-+-+(
7+-+-+-+-'
6-+-+-+-+&
5+-+k+-+-%
4-+-+R+-+$
3+-+-mK-+-#
2-+-+-+-+"
1+-+-+-+-!
xabcdefghy
Black to move


















XABCDEFGHY
8-+-+-+-+(
7+-+-+-+-'
6-+k+-+-+&
5+-+-mK-+-%
4-+-tR-+-+$
3+-+-+-+-#
2-+-+-+-+"
1+-+-+-+-!
xabcdefghy
White to move



























 
XABCDEFGHY
8-+-+-+-+(
7+k+-+-+-'
6-+-tR-+-+&
5+-mK-+-+-%
4-+-+-+-+$
3+-+-+-+-#
2-+-+-+-+"
1+-+-+-+-!
xabcdefghy
White to move
























XABCDEFGHY
8k+-+-+-+(
7+-mK-+-+-'
6R+-+-+-+&
5+-+-+-+-%
4-+-+-+-+$
3+-+-+-+-#
2-+-+-+-+"
1+-+-+-+-!
xabcdefgh
CHECKMATE!

XABCDEFGH
8-+-+-+-+(
7mk-mK-+-+-'
6-tR-+-+-+&
5+-+-+-+-%
4-+-+-+-+$
3+-+-+-+-#
2-+-+-+-+"
1+-+-+-+-!
xabcdefgh
White to move

XABCDEFGHY
8-+-+-+-+(
7+-+-+-+-'
6R+-+-+-+&
5+-+-+-+-%
4-+-+-+-+$
3+-+K+-+-#
2-+-+-+-+"
1+-+-mk-+-!
xabcdefghy
White to move


XABCDEFGHY
8-+-+-+-+(
7+-+-+P+k'
6-+-+-mK-+&
5+-+-+-+-%
4-+-+-+-+$
3+-+-+-+-#
2-+-+-+-+"
1+-+-+-+-!
xabcdefghy
White to move