August 12 column exercises

Double rook type checkmates

 

XABCDEFGHY

8-+-+-+-+(

7+-+-+-+-'

6-+-+-+-+&

5+-+k+-+-%

4-tR-+-+-+$

3wQ-+-+-+-#

2-+-+-+-+"

1+-+-+-mK-!

xabcdefghy

 

1.  White to move and checkmate in 4 moves.  Notice that first the rook hems the king into the upper 4 rows, then the queen pushes the black king back off of the fifth row (counting from the bottom), then the queen hems the black king into three rows and the rook pushes him back.  The active piece is the one holding the black king back and the inactive piece is the one White wants to move.  This is an example of using your inactive pieces.

 

 

 

 

XABCDEFGHY

8-+-+-+-+(

7+-+-+-+-'

6-+-+-+-+&

5+-+-+-+-%

4-+-+k+-+$

3+R+-+-+-#

2-+-+-+-+"

1tR-+-+-mK-!

xabcdefghy

2.  White to move and checkmate more than 4 moves.  The reason is that the Black king should attack the rooks and the rooks will have to move from the left side to the right to the left.  Notice again that the active rook hems the king into the upper part of the board and the inactive one is the piece  that moves to push the black king toward the top of the board. 

Queen type checkmates

XABCDEFGHY
8-+k+-+-+(
7+p+-+-+-'
6p+-zP-sNl+&
5wQ-+-+-+-%
4-+-wq-+-+$
3+-+-+-zPn#
2-+-+-+-zP"
1+-+-+K+-!
xabcdefghy

Whichever player moves first wins.

 Notice that the pattern involves the king being against the edge of the board and is directly between the queen and the edge of the board.  The only thing left is that the queen be protected and not subject to capture.

 

XABCDEFGHY

8-+k+-+-+(

7+p+-+-+-'

6p+-z+-s+l+&

5wQ-+-+-+-%

4-+-wq-+N+$

3+-+-+-zPn#

2-+-+-+-zP"

1+-+-+K+-!

xabcdefghy

Notice that in this position there is no one move checkmate for either player.