Rooks & Minors
I suggest that you cover the moves and try to figure out the moves yourself. Then look at the solutions and make the moves in your head, read out comments and click each move name. Then click here for Winboard a free PGN utility and chess program. Or you can load the PGN into a commercial chess program such as Fritz and play the positions against the computer.--36--
PinWaitCornerMate
Pin, Wait, Mate
White To Play
White's Rook attacks Black's Bishop threatening capture and "Forcing" it to move to a position where it can protect its King from an "Opposition Mate" that White has if Black's Bishop moves to any square other than the one it moved to. For example: 1. ... Bg6 or Bh5, 2. Rf8+ Be8 3. Rxe8#. White "Checks" Black on the second move and forces Black's Bishop to "Selfpin." White's third move is a "Waiting Move since Black's "Only Legal Move" left was to "Unguard" his Bishop due to "zugzwang." White captures the Bishop and "Cornermates" Black.
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ChasePinWaitCornerMate
Chase, Pin, Wait & Mate
White To Play
White keeps chasing the Bishop until it is "Forced" into a "Selfpin."White makes his "Waiting Move."Black's "Only Legal Move" left was to "Unguard" his Bishop due to "zugzwang." White captures the Bishop and "Cornermates" Black. Black would have been better off playing for a draw thusly: 1. Rf1, Bh2, 2. Rf2 Bg1 3. Rf1 Bh2 4. Rf1 "Drawn by Repitition." Computer analysis shows 1. Rf3 to be better than Pandolfini's first move, for example: 1. ... Bc5 2. Rc3 Bb4 3. Rc8 Bf8 4. Rd8 Kh8 5. Rxf8#
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R&BvsRWeakSAtEdgeMate
Weakside Attack
White To Play
--43--
Rook & Bishop Opposition Tempo Edge Mate
R&BTempoOpEdgeMate
[FEN "4k3/5R2/3K4/3B4/8/4r3/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "9"]
{#} 1. Rf4 Kd8 2. Be4 Ke8 3. Bc6+ Kd8 4. Rf8+ Re8 5. Rxe8# 1-0
On his first move White "Moves Away The Rook Keeping Control" of the "F" file. Black moves his King into "Opposition". White then "Blocks Black's Line of Defense" by interposing the Bishop threatening an "Opposition Mate." To avoid this Black moves his King "Out of Opposition." The Bishop "Check Forces King Into Opposition" again. White now "Checks" with the Rook forcing Black's "Only Move," the Rook "Interpose." The Rook & Bishop "Edgemate" is brought about by White "Capturing" Black's Rook.
[FEN "1k6/5b2/1K6/8/8/8/1R6/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "7"]
{#} 1. Rf2 Be6 2. Rf8+ Bc8 3. Rh8 Ka8 4. Rxc8# 1-0
{#} 1. Rf1 Bh2 2. Rf2 Bg3 3. Rg2 Bd6 4. Rd2 Be7 5. Rc2 Bd6 6. Rc8+ Bf8 7. Ra8
Kh8 8. Rxf8# 1-0
[FEN "2k1r3/5R2/3K4/3B4/8/8/8/8 w - - 0 1"]
[PlyCount "13"]
[EventDate "2005.07.06"]
{#} 1. Ra7 Rd8+ 2. Kc6 Kb8 3. Ra5 Rh8 4. Kb6 Rh6+ 5. Bc6 Rxc6+ 6. Kxc6 Kc8 7.
Ra8# 1-0
White begins with a "Weak Side Attack." Black "Checks and Attacks" White's Bishop. White moves his King into "Opposition" and Black moves "Out of Opposition" and Attacks White's Rook which "Runs Away Keeping Control" of the A file. Black "Moves his Rook to an Open File" where it can attack White's King" and White again moves into "Opposition." Black "Checks" and White "Selfpins," threatening a "Bishop Rook" "Cornermate." Black "Defends" by "Sacrificing the Exchange" and is then "Edgemated."
White To Play