White to Play and Mate in Four

Pete Tamburro on Oct 8, 2008

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I like this problem because it can be used to teach novices how chess can help you think logically. See what can be and then make it happen! A good motto for life.

Solution:

1.Re8+ Rxe8 2.Qxb7+ Kxb7 3.Ba6+ Kb8 4.Nc6#

A word of explanation of the teaching usefulness of this composition by Kuiper. Most chess teachers show one of the disadvantages of moving the g-pawn when the king is hiding there. Usually, the rook is on the f-square as part of the kingside castled position. We teach that the f- and h-squares in front of the pawns can be useful for the bishop and knight to create a mate, usually with the bishop on the long diagonal and the knight popping in to mate on the other unprotected square of the castled position.

Here, the rook is on the a--square, but the mating pattern is still there. Every student of the game has to recognize that the pattern is possible here. The question is: how do you get to it?

Look carefully at the position you want. Your bishop on f1 would be great on a6 and the knight would deliver the mate on c6. What are the obstacles? You need to get rid of the Black bishop protecting all those light squares and you need to allow the bishop to get to a6 by moving the rook. You also need to find forcing moves. If the defender has an option, that will be bad for you. Checks are pretty good at being forcing moves. You can say to yourself, "If I take the bishop with the queen giving check, then he has to take. If that darn rook weren't there, then it would be Ba6 check and Nc6 mate, but there is no useful move with the rook. Hey, if I play as my first move 1.Re8+ then Black is forced to take the rook since Bc8 is met by Na6 mate. That gets rid of the rook. Black has no options and then I can start my mating attack with Ba6 and Nc6."

Thus, by recognizing patterns and using logic, your wishes can be realized. As with many wishes in chess and life, you can't always find simple solutions because there aren't any quick fixes. Then you have to think long term and we graduate from tactics to strategy, where the real challenge of chess lies. Send questions and comments to PTamburro@aol.com.