30+ Ways to Checkmate in Chess
Quick Summary This post examines 31 checkmate patterns players should study. It looks at all sorts of checkmates, with a brief history of them and practical examples from games or common positions. Ranging from basic and common to rare and complex, studying these mates will help you with your overall game. Introduction We are foregoing […]
King’s Indian Checkmates
Malcolm Pein featured a game in the King’s Indian Defense in his column this morning, showing a typical race of attacks. We stay with the King’s Indian Defense for today’s instalment of Checkmate Monday. Our checkmates today bring victory to the lower-rated player in each of the four cases. They also see the famous King’s […]
The Checkmating Dragons
It is Checkmate Monday once more and today we present a selection of checkmating Dragons. The Sicilian Dragon is one of the sharpest and most interesting chess openings of all and we are about to see a revival of the fire-breathing beast. Therefore, it is a good time to remind ourselves of the power of […]
Ruy Lopez Checkmates
It is checkmate Monday again and today we present a number of Ruy Lopez checkmates. All of the positions below were reached from games starting with 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5, which ties in with our most recent instalment of Chess Opening Basics. Test your strength on the first diagram in each case. The second […]
Peter Romanovsky’s Checkmates
Checkmate Monday is here again and we start a brand new month with a look at some checkmates by Peter Romanovsky. Romanovsky’s name may not be as familiar to readers as some of the people we have featured in our Checkmate Monday series but he was a very strong player, who won the Soviet Championship […]
Chigorin’s Checkmates
Checkmate Monday continues with a selection of Mikhail Chigorin’s checkmates. Chigorin (1850-1908) lost two matches for the World Chess Championship against the defending champion, Wilhelm Steinitz, in 1889 and 1892. He was a highly creative player who enjoyed a long and successful chess career, despite dying at the comparatively young age of 57. His sharp […]
Checkmate by Royal Appointment
Checkmate Monday is here again and this time we are going upmarket as we examine a case of Checkmate by Royal Appointment. Before we look at the main example, which shows the white king strolling cooly up the board to help the queen deliver checkmate, we have a prelude featuring a related theme. Speed Chess […]
For the Love of Chess
‘Chess, like love, like music, has the power to make men happy.’ Doctor Siegbert Tarrasch ‘Now don’t be sad ‘Cause two out of three ain’t bad’ Meat Loaf Wise words indeed. Oh, but which of the three is missing – and what can we do about it? Well, it is time to play some music […]
Four Checkmates by Efim Bogoljubov
Checkmate Monday has arrived once more and this time we are looking at some fine finishes by Efim Bogoljubov. Bogoljubov was the unsuccessful challenger for the World Championship in 1929 and 1934, losing to World Champion Alexander Alekhine on both occasions. History has not treated him particularly kindly, partly because he is seen as lightweight […]
Capablanca’s Checkmates
It is Checkmate Monday once again and today we present three of Capablanca’s checkmates. José Raúl Capablanca, the third official World Champion of chess, beat the previous incumbent, Emanuel Lasker, in a famous match in 1921. Although we tend to associate Capablanca more with his extraordinary endgame skill than with checkmating attacks, he was still […]