Mating Patterns - Studying Tactics

[b]Hi

Rather long blog this one so one quick gag and let's get going.































Actually the post of many weeks on many forums all over the net.

Yes the fabled Top 10 of Great Players appeared on the forum again.

You know when you are getting old when the names on this list
start getting younger and younger.

Carlsen, Kasparov, Anand, Kramnik…

Next week it will the strongest players who have never won the
World Championship, then the top 10 Russian, top 10 non-Russians…

Did you know that when you get your GM title you are given a
password and a net address to log onto.

Here the GM’s from all over the world amuse themselves by posting
the top 10 weakest players.



I posted this in the Chess Forum Thread 132654

Here is a mate with K & 2 Rooks v a King



Now I remove the White King and replace it with a White Knight



It's not mate anymore.

You leave the Black King on e5 and just using the two White Rooks
and a White Knight (no White King) place the Rooks and Knight on
the board so the Black King is in checkmate.

So start with this.



And put the 3 pieces (2 Rooks and a Knight) on the board so the
Black King is in checkmate.

You do not move the pieces about, the Black King stays on e5
just simply add the three white pieces on the board so it's mate.


I’d like to thank all those on RHP who too part.

Here is the solution.























Of course as some lads pointed out this position is illegal.
That is why I chose it.

So what was it all about?

I’ve seen some good players struggle with this, some even give up
and I’ve seen some pretty weak players get almost instantly,

The quickest I’ve seen was GM Colin McNab. who took under 30 seconds.

Well Colin is part of the Great Britain solving team so you expect him to get it.
But that was not the reason.
Colin said as it was me who was setting the problem he knew to look
for something odd right away.
Am I that easy to read?

You would think most of you could set up a mate with 2 Rooks and
a Knight. within a few seconds.

The reason most of you struggled and most people do,
is my old friend pattern recognition.

You have never seen that position before so your chess memory is
totally useless.
Infact the less experienced you are the better because you are not used
to recalling (yet) these patterns to help guide you and you will not spend
time racking your brain cells for a pattern that is not there.

I’ve seen one IM and one Intentional player give up on this after 4 minutes!!
Together they could not get it.
I’ve seen a 9 year old junior get it within a minute.

Another solution.



Infact if you swap the Knight and the Rooks about
there are 8 different soltions.

In my experience at setting this, if you are a reasonable player and
you don’t get it within a minute then the harder it is.

So if you study tactics and store these patterns then the easier they
are to spot in your games.
This ‘study’ proves it. You cannot reproduce over the board what is
not there in the first place.

I have played 1,000’s of combinations and yet NONE have been original.
I have seen the idea before in a game or a puzzle and stored it.

Do you want to see how good you are at using a pattern?

This was posted on the Chess Forum a few days ago
Press play and let it play out. Do it twice if you have not seen it before.



A Queen and Knight pattern that with 5 minutes work you will
take to your grave. The opportunity to play this will pop up
in a future game and you won't miss it.

Play out this game and look at the position when it stops.
Then figure out why Black cannot castle in that position.
You will spot it within seconds.
Much quicker than that 2 Rooks & 1 Knight puzzle.

What happens if Black Castles when the game stops.
Do it all with check. (always look for forcing moves - easy to calculate).
After ...0-0 it's Mate in 4.



How easy was that. I’ll play it out.



After solving these things on a board I use to play about with
the position trying different methods and discovering new patterns.



There is a nifty double Bishop sac and mate with the Knight in there.



This position is great for messing with. Loads of mating patterns.


1.Qg5 g6 2.Ne7 mate.



You can even sacrifice your Queen. 1.Qh6





1…gxh6 2.Ne7 mate. There is a Knight & Bishop pattern for you.



And this is one way to study tactics. It’s how I did it.
Solve it then mess about with it finding new patterns and new ideas.

Of course it's best using this 'tinker & tamper' method on a full sized board.
rathsr than solving these things from a web site.
It's far easier to.

We play OTB chess on a full sized board and there is nothing
quite like playing one of these combinations in the flesh

Before I go, anything nagging at the back of mind?
A small unsure feeling,

This is your innner eye trying tio tell you something.
Don't worry if you don't feel it yet, it will come.
You will learn to trust this feeling, it's an itch that must be scratched.

Look at everything no matter who says it.

The Queen sac is unsound,. Black has a resource.
(more ideas to store).



And there is no mate.