Chess and Checkers: The Way to Mastership by Edward Lasker (debian ebook reader TXT) 📕

versions which are essentially different from the one illustrated above. Following are typical examples of the three most frequent cases.

In the position of Diagram 38 Black must not take the Pawn e4 although he can protect the Knight with B-f5 in case White pins him with R-e1.

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8 | #R | | #B | | #K | | | #R |

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7 | #P | #P | | | | | #P | #P |

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6 | | | #P | | | #Kt| | |

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5 | | | | | | | | |

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4 | | | | | ^P | ^Kt| | |

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3 | | | | | | | ^B | |

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2 | ^P | ^P | | | | | ^P | ^P |

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1 | ^R | | | ^R | | | ^K | |

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a b c d e f g h

DIAGRAM 38.

The way in which White would obtain the advantage is this:

 

(1) R-e1 B-f5

(2) Rxe4 Bxe4

(3) R-e1

Through sacrificing one Rook for the Knight White has freed the square e1 for the other Rook who now pins the Black Bishop without Black being able to protect it.

The position of Diagram 39 is somewhat related to that of Diagram 38, as far as the possibility of a sacrifice for the sake of a pin is concerned. If White plays B-b5+ Black must not interpose his Bishop, for White will give up his Rook for the Bishop in order to force the Rook d8 into a pinned position and then he will win the Rook by R-d1.

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8 | | | | #R | #K | | | #R |

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7 | #P | #P | | | | #P | #P | #P |

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6 | | | | | #B | | | |

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5 | | | | | #P | | | |

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4 | | | | | ^P | | | |

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3 | | | | | | | | |

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2 | ^P | ^P | ^P | | | | ^P | ^P |

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1 | | | ^K | ^R | | ^B | | ^R |

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a b c d e f g h

DIAGRAM 39.

In the position of Diagram 40 there is also a possibility of a sacrifice with the view to pin a piece that defends a certain threat as long as it is mobile. White plays (1) Q-d5, and Black dares not take White’s Knight with his Queen for White would continue (2) Qxf7+, Rxf7; (3) R-e8+/-.

What Black could try is (1) Kt-h6.

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8 | #R | | #B | #Q | | #R | #K | |

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7 | #P | #P | | #P | | #P | #P | #P |

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6 | | | | #P | | | | |

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5 | | | | | | #Kt| ^Kt| |

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4 | | | ^B | | ^R | | | |

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3 | | | | | | | | |

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2 | ^P | ^P | | | | ^P | ^P | ^P |

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1 | ^R | | | ^Q | | | ^K | |

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a b c d e f g h

DIAGRAM 40.

The Pawn f7 would then be three times attacked and three times protected so that White cannot take him as now the pin of the Rook resulting from Ktxf7, Ktxf7; Qxf7, Rxf7 does not lead to anything, the square e8 being protected by the Queen. However, White can force the win by (2) Ra1-e1, threatening again the sacrifice of f7, as he now controls the square e8 twice. If Black replies (2) …, Q-f6, protecting f7 for the fourth time and thereby making impossible White’s sacrifice on that point, White continues with (3) R-e8. This threatens Rxf8+, Kxf8; Ktxh7+ winning the Queen. Black cannot defend himself with Q-g6 on account of (4) B-d3 followed by Bxh7+ and Rxf8, etc., nor can he play (3) …, Q-f4 on account of P-g3 followed by Qxd6, attacking the defenseless Rook f8.

A sacrifice with the view to enabling a mating attack through the cooperation of Rooks and Bishop somewhat similar to the examples discussed in the previous chapter is possible in the position of Diagram 41 which occurred in a Tournament game in London in which the author conducted the black men.

Black’s combination starts with the sacrifice of the Queen on f3. After (1) …, Qxf3; (2) Pxf3, B-h3+; (3) K-g1 White’s King is held in an immobile position by the Black Bishop and a check with one of Black’s Rooks in the g-file would be deadly.

However, White can, for a while, protect himself against all mating attempts of Black. If Black continued (3 ) …, R-e6, White would take the Pawn d3 with the Queen thereby defending the mate R-g6. After giving up his Queen for one of Black’s Rooks White would still have an advantage in material.

The correct way to carry on the attack is (3) …, Ra8-e8, as then White cannot take the Pawn d3 on account of R-e1+; Q-f1, Rxf1+; Rxf1, R-e6 and R-g6 mate.

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8 | #R | | #B | | | | #K | |

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7 | #P | #P | | | | #P | #P | #P |

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6 | | | | | | #Q | | |

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5 | | | | | | | | |

|–––––––––––––|

4 | | ^P | ^P | | | | | |

|–––––––––––––|

3 | | | | #P | | ^Kt| | |

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2 | | ^P | | | #R | ^P | ^P | ^P |

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1 | ^R | | | ^Q | | ^K | | ^R |

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a b c d e f g h

DIAGRAM 41.

The main threat of Black’s third move is R-e6-g6 mate. Another threat is P-d2 followed by R-e1+. The only way for White to defend himself is (4) P-f4. If now P-d2, then (5) P-f3, R-e1+; (6) K-f2 affords a sufficient protection. And if (4) …, Re8-e6, then (5) P-f5 prevents the Rook from going to g6.

However, by repeating the mating threat with (5) …, Re6-e4, which forces White to protect, g4 by (6) P-f3 Black opens the second rank for a combined assault of the Rooks similar to the one illustrated by Diagram 30. What makes matters worse for White is that with (6) …, R-g2+ he is forced into the line of the Bishop h3 so that he is exposed to a discovered check. After (7) K-f1, Rxb2 discovered check; (8) K-g1, Re4-e2 White must give up his Queen for the Rook immediately, as otherwise Black would mate in four moves by R-g2+, K-f1, Rxh2+, K-g1, Rb2-g2+; K-f1, Rxh1+/-.

Although White is still ahead in material after (9) Qxe2, Rxe2 he cannot avoid the loss of the game on account of the continued threat which Black exerts by the cooperation of his Rook and his Bishop. The only move which would save the Rook a1 from getting lost through R-g2+, followed by a discovered check with simultaneous attack of the Rook by Black’s Rook would be (10) R-d1 with the idea of protecting the Rook with the King thus (10) …, R-g2+; (11) K-f1, R-d2; (12) K-e1; but this plan fails as Black checkmates with (12) …, R-e2.

A mating position which has not been discussed up to now but which occurs frequently enough in the actual game to warrant its special mention is one in which the King is deprived of all mobility by his own men who surround him and in which a hostile Knight can check the King. Diagram 42 offers an example.

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8 | | | #Q | | #R | | | #K |

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7 | #P | #P | | | | | #P | #P |

|–––––––––––––|

6 | | | | | | #B | | |

|–––––––––––––|

5 | | | | ^R | | | ^Kt| |

|–––––––––––––|

4 | | | ^Q | | | | | |

|–––––––––––––|

3 | | | | | | | ^P | |

|–––––––––––––|

2 | ^P | ^P | | | | | | ^P |

|–––––––––––––|

1 | | | | | | | ^K | |

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a b c d e f g h

DIAGRAM 42.

White on the move can force the mate by (1) R-d8, a very surprising sacrifice indeed, for not only can Black take the Rook with either Queen or Rook but he can also take White’s Queen. In the latter case, however, he would be mated in two moves by (2) Rxe8+, Q-g8; (3) Kt-f7. This is one example of the “throttled mate” by the Knight. Another one, which is really the typical one, occurs if Black takes the Rook instead of the Queen. The mating process then is: (2) Kt-f7+, K-g8; (3) Kt-h6 double check, K-h8; (4) Q-g8+, Rxg8; (5) Kt-f7+/-. White could not have played Q-g8+ right on the second move because then Black would have taken the Queen with the King, while he could not do so with White’s Knight on h6.

Sacrifices made with the view of a direct mating attack are, as a rule, the easiest to figure out, as there is no guesswork connected with them. In those cases the player does not face the question as to whether the position attained after the sacrifice will be strong enough to insure a gain of material at least equivalent to the amount of material sacrificed, a question which to answer correctly sometimes requires a good deal of instinct trained by experience; all that is necessary if to ascertain whether the opponent can be mated in a definite number of moves or not. If the mate cannot be clearly foreseen, the sacrifice must not be made. The possibility of a sacrifice with consequent forced mate is always indicated if a greatly superior force is available for attack at the part of the board where the opposing King is located. An example is offered by the position reproduced on the book cover.

 

[E-text editor note: The position on the book cover is:

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8 | #R | #Kt| | | | #R | #K | |

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7 | #P | #B | #P | #P | #Q | | #P | #P |

|–––––––––––––|

6 | | #P | | | #P | #B | | |

|–––––––––––––|

5 | | | | | ^Kt| | | ^Q |

|–––––––––––––|

4 | | | | ^P | ^Kt| | | |

|–––––––––––––|

3 | | | | ^B | | | | |

|–––––––––––––|

2 | ^P | ^P | ^P | | | ^P | ^P | ^P |

|–––––––––––––|

1 | ^R | | | | ^K | | | ^R |

+–––––––––––––+

a b c d e f g h ]

This position occurred in a game between Sir G. A. Thomas of London and the author. Black has just played Q-e7 in order to protect the mate which was threatened by Ktxf6+ followed by Qxh7. If in the position of the diagram White played Kt-f6+, Black would retake with the Pawn, thereby protecting the Pawn h7 with his Queen. However, White can force the mate with a neat Queen’s sacrifice which drives Black’s King right into the arms of the remaining White pieces. Play continued as follows:

 

(1) Qxh7+ Kxh7

(2) Ktxf6++ K-h6

The King cannot go to h8 on account of Kt-g6 mate. White now continually checks Black’s