a tactics problem I wasted way too much time on.

Was thinking about this quote after struggling to solve a very basic mate on the train to work this morning.

“A thorough understanding of the typical mating continuations makes
the most complicated sacrificial combinations leading up to them
not only not difficult, but almost a matter of course”
(Siegbert Tarrasch)



Simple, but it took me 2 stops to find the move. I think it is because the mate pattern wasn't ingrained in my head.

Originally posted by nimzo5
Was thinking about this quote after struggling to solve a very basic mate on the train to work this morning.

“A thorough understanding of the typical mating continuations makes
the most complicated sacrificial combinations leading up to them
not only not difficult, but almost a matter of course”
(Siegbert Tarrasch)

[fen]r1bq1nkb/2p4p/p2p3Q/1p2pN1N/4 ...[text shortened]... e 2 stops to find the move. I think it is because the mate pattern wasn't ingrained in my head.

Am I correct that it's Qe6 followed by Nh6?

> I think it is because the mate pattern wasn't ingrained in my head.

I do not think that this is really about mating patterns. Sometimes it is better to think in terms of the possible escape squares (or lack thereof) of the king.

Here the black king is boxed in by Rf1, Nh5 and Bh8. Thus a knight check on h6 mates. But there is a queen on h6 now. Then do a clearance sacrifice: Qe6! The queen must be captured and then Nh6 mates.

I saw the immediate knight pattern, as I have spent a considerable amount of time with minor piece endings, but it took me a bit to see that the R on f1 would cover f8, so I didn't see the complete mate as fast as I would have liked, either.

I also typically just count out escape squares when looking for a mate, but something this direct I shouldn't have to "see" I should just know it. Something about two knights on the h file threw me off.

Originally posted by nimzo5
I also typically just count out escape squares when looking for a mate, but something this direct I shouldn't have to "see" I should just know it. Something about two knights on the h file threw me off.

Actually it's only one knight on the h-file. It's two knights on the 5th rank.

Originally posted by USArmyParatrooper
Actually it's only one knight on the h-file. It's two knights on the 5th rank.

I presume he meant a failure to visualise the final position?

yep

I think this thread may be mis-labeled. If you learned from it, it wasn't a waste of time. And by sharing it, many others have learned something new as well.

I also ran across a problem today that involved a knight mating pattern

White to move



I was so consumed by the loose knight on e4, the loose bishop on g7 and the discovered attack
on the black queen that I never even considered a mating attack.