The Endgame Mate With Two Rooks Against a King
III. Games With Opening Mistakes For Analysis
Game 22
1. f2-f4
This is not considered to be one of the strongest first moves since it does not open lines for the White pieces or help White’s development.
Furthermore, it exposes the White King’s position.
1. ... e7-e5
A strong move. Black sacrifices a pawn (i.e, he is playing a gambit) but gets more than enough in return: paths are opened up for his Queen and dark-square Bishop and he can develop rapidly. 1. ... d5, freeing the way for the Queen and the light-square Bishop, would also be good.
2. f4xe5
White loses time by capturing the pawn instead of developing. The best move would be 2. e4, with White in his turn offering Black a gambit.
2. ... d7-d6
3. e5xd6
Bringing out a piece by 3. Nf3 would be better.
3. ... Bf8xd6
4. Nb1-c3??
White blithely ignores the exposed position of his King. He had to play 4.
Nf3.
4. ... Qd8-h4 + !
victory.
5. g2-g3 Qh4xg3 + !
Black sacrifices his Queen for a pawn. 5. ... Bxg3 + ! would have led to the same result also.
6. h2xg3 Bd6xg3#
The final position is shown in Diagram 143.
143
White lost quickly because he neglected the development of his pieces.
The next game also finishes very quickly.
Game 23
1. f2-f4 e7-e5
2. e2-e4 This time White plays a better move than 2. fxe5. The pawn sacrifice offered by White is called the “King’s Gambit.”
2. ... Bf8-c5
Black follows the very sensible policy of developing his pieces instead of grabbing a pawn. Also, he correctly avoids 2. ... Qh4 +. Beginners love to check whenever they can, but checks are often useless or even harmful.
For example, White would reply to 2. ... Qh4 + with 3. g3. The attacked Queen would have to retreat and Black would just have lost time.
3. f4xe5?
White should have followed Black’s example and developed a piece with 3. Nf3.
3. ... Qd8-h4 + !
Now this check is good!
4. Ke1-e2 Qh4xe4#
See Diagram 144 for the final position.
144
Qxe4 + he would have lost a Rook. In this game too White got carried away by the idea of winning a pawn and neglected his development.
Answers to the Homework I. Diagrams 137–142
D-137
1. Qd1-d5 Ng8-h6
2. Bc1xh6 0-0
3. Qxf7 was threatened.
3. Bh6-e3
And so on. The diagram position arose after the opening moves 1. e4 e5 2.
Nf3 d6 3. Bc4 Nd7 4. d4 BE7? 5. dxe5 dxe5??.
D-138 The solution is exactly the same as for D-137, although this position arose from a different opening (1. e4 e5 2. d4 exd4 3. Bc4 Bb4 + 4. c3 dxc3 5. bxc3 Be7??).
D-139 Solution a):
1. Rb7-b5 + Kg5-h4
2. Ra6-h6#
Solution b):
Rb7-h7 Zugzwang.
1. ... Kg5-f5
D-140 Solution a):
1. Rb1-e1 + Ke7-f6
2. Rd2-f2 + Kf6-g5
3. Re1-g1 + Kg5-h4
4. Rf2-h2#
Solution b):
1. Rb1-b6 Ke7-f7
2. Rd2-d7 + Kf7-e8
3. Rd7-a7 Ke8-d8
4. Rb6-b8#
D-141
1. Qc2-xh7 + ! Kh8xh7
2. Ra2-h2#
D-142 Black can be mated in seven moves. There are many ways of doing this. Here is one:
1. Ra1-a4 Ke5-d5
2. Rb1-b5 + Kd5-c6
3. Rb5-h5
As far away from the King as possible.
3. ... Kc6-b6
4. Ra4-g4
So that the Rooks don’t get in each other’s way.
4. ... Kb6-c6
5. Rg4-g6 + Kc6-d7
6. Rh5-h7 + Kd7-e8
7. Rg6-g8#
II. Exercises
1. No. Such a position is impossible because the only ways a pawn can get to a3 are either by advancing from a2 or by capturing from b2, but both these pawns are still on their home squares.
2. Two moves: 1. ... Nc7-d5 2,. ...Nd5xe7.
3. You can easily check the answers your selves by looking at a chessboard.
for use at the teacher’s discretion
Positions 145 and 146 illustrate opening mistakes and Diagrams 147–150 demonstrate the linear mate idea.
145
Black to play. What is White’s threat and how can Black defend against it? This position arose after the following opening moves:
1. e2-e4 e7-e5
2. Ng1-f3 Nb8-c6
3. Bf1-c4 Ng8-f6
4. Nb1-c3 d7-d6?
5. Nf3-g5
White threatens 6. Ng5xf7. Black is forced to give up a pawn, whether by 6. ... Bc8-e6 (defended once, attacked, twice), 6. ... d6-d5 (defended twice, attacked three times), or 6. ... Bc8-g4 7. Bc4xf7 + Ke8-d7 8. f2-f3.
146
From the game Petrosian-Ree, Beverwijk 1971. White to play and win a piece. This position arose after the following opening moves:
1. c2-c4 e7-e5
2. Nb1-c3 Nb8-c6
3. Ng1-f3 Ng8-f6
4. e2-e3 Bf8-b4
5. Nc3-d5 Nf6xd5?
6. c4xd5 e5-e4??
White now wins by:
7. d5xc6 e4xf3
8. Qd1-b3! a7-a5
9. a2-a3! Bb4-d6
10. c6xb7 Bc8-b7
11. Qb3xb7
with an extra piece.
From the game Goglidze–Botvinnik, Moscow 1935. Black to play mates in three moves.
1. ... Qe2xf1 + !
2. Kg1xf1 Rb8-b1 +
3. Kf1-e2 Rc8-c2#
148
From the game Schlechter–Tarrasch, Cologne 1911. Black resigned after 1. Rd1-d3. Why?
Because he had no good defense against the threat of 2. Qxh6 + Kxh6 3.
Rh3#.
149
From the game Pillsbury–Maroczy, Paris 1900. White to play wins 1. Qf4-h6
Threatening 2. Qg7# or 2. Qf6#.
1. ... Qb2xe5
2. Qh6xh7 + !! Kh8xh7
3. Kh3-g2#
150
From the game Budrich–Gumprich, Berlin 1950. White to play wins.
To clear the c-file.
1. ... c6xd5
2. Qe7xf8 + ! Kg8xf8
3. Rc2-c8 + Bg5-d8
4. Rc8xd8#
Sample Games Containing Opening Mistakes
Game 24
Three Knights Opening Reti–Dunkelblum, Vienna, 1914
1. e2-e4 e7-e5
2. Ng1-f3 Nb8-c6
3. Nb1-c3 Bf8-c5?!
This “active” move is not very good as it allows White to gain an advantage in the center by means of a temporary sacrifice.
4. Nf3xe5! Nc6xe5
5. d2-d4 Bc5xd4?
Better would be 5. ... Bd6 6. dxe5 Bxe5.
6. Qd1xd4 Qd8-f6?
It would be better to defend the Knight by 6. ... d6, when 7. f4 would be dangerous for White because of 7. ... Qh4 + 8. g3 Nf3 +. In bringing his Queen out to f6, Black has been tempted by the chance to threaten to win White’s Queen by 7. ... Nf3 +.
7. Nc3-b5!
The more stereotyped reply 7. Be3, developing a piece, would also have given White an advantage, but in this particular position the talented grandmaster Richard Reti realizes that he can better exploit Black’s opening mistakes by moving his Knight a second time before completing his development, although such a move goes against a general opening principle.
7. ... Ke8-d8?!
7. ... c6 would undoubtedly be better, but Black’s position would remain difficult in any case after 8. Nd6 +.
8. Qd4-c5!
Black resigns, as he cannot defend against both 9. Qf8# and 9. Qxc7 + at the same time. See Diagram 151 for the final position.
151
This game shows us that while as a rule we must play in accordance with the major opening principles, exceptions to these rules are sometimes possible.
1. e2-e4 e7-e5
2. Ng1-f3 Nb8-c6
3. Bf1-c4 Bf8-c5
Both sides have played well in bringing out their Bishops to strong positions. This opening is called the Giuoco Piano.
4. d2-d3
Opening a path for the other Bishop.
4. ... Ng8-e7?
A poor move. The Knight would be better placed on f6.
5. Nf3-g5!
Attacking the pawn on f7 a second time.
5. ... 0-0?
After this mistake, Black can no longer save himself. He should instead defend with 5. ... d5.
6. Qd1-h5!
If White plays 6. Nxf7 instead, then after 6. ... Rxf7 7. Bxf7 + Kxf7 he will have given up a Bishop and a Knight in return for a Rook and a pawn, a disadvantageous trade in the opening stages of a game. After 6. Qd1-h5!, on the other hand, White threatens mate on h7 and simultaneously attacks the pawn on f7 a third time. Black cannot defend against both threats at once.
6. ... h7-h6
The only defense against mate, since 6. ... Re8 would be followed by 7.
Bxf7 + Kf8 8. Nxh7#.
7. Ng5xf7 Rf8xf7
Black has to give up the Exchange. After 7. ... Qe8 he would be mated in three moves: 8. Nxh6 + + (double check) Kh8 9. Nf7 + + (another double check!) Kg8 10. Qh8#.
8. Bc4xf7 + Kg8-f8
If 8. ... Kh8, then 9. Bxh6 gxh6 10. Qxh6#.
9. Bf7-b3 Qd8-e8
White was threatening to mate with the Queen on f7.
10. Qh5xh6
Instead of this Queen sacrifice, White could also play 10. Qf3 + Nf5 11.
Qxf5, with an extra Rook and an easy win.
10. ... g7xh6?
11. Bc1xh6#
See Diagram 152 for the final position.
Instead of capturing the Queen, Black could have played 10. ... Ng8, which would have been followed by 11. Qh8 Ne7 12. Bg5 d5 13. Bxe7 Qxe7 14. Bxd5 Be6 15. Bxe6 Qxe6. In order to exploit his material advantage of an Exchange and three pawns, White should now strive to simplify the game by exchanging the Queens and other pieces and going into an endgame.