Chess 4

Calculation by visualising the future positions is what
will count.
15. How to Mate with a Knight and a Bishop
Now, before going back again to the middle game and
the openings, let us see how to mate with Knight and
Bishop, and, then, how to win with a Queen against a
Rook.
With a Knight and a Bishop the mate can only be
given in the corners of the same colour as the Bishop.
In this example we must mate either at a1 or h8. The
ending can be divided into two parts. Part one consists
in driving the Black King to the last line. We might
begin, as is generally done in all such cases, by
advancing the King to the centre of the board.
It will be seen that the ending is rather laborious.
There are two outstanding features: the close following
by the King, and the controlling of the squares of the
opposite colour of the Bishop by the combined action
of the Knight and King. The student will do well to
exercise himself methodically in this ending, as it
gives a very good idea of the actual power of the
pieces, and it requires foresight in order to accomplish
the mate within the fifty moves which are granted by
the rules.
16. Queen against Rook

This is one of the most difficult endings without
pawns. The resources of the defence are many, and
when used skilfully only a very good player will
prevail within the limit of fifty moves allowed by the
rules. (The rules is that at any moment you may
demand that your opponent mate you within fifty
moves. However, every time a piece is exchanged or a
pawn advanced the counting must begin afresh.)
This is one of the standard positions which Black can
often bring about. Now, it is White's move. If it were
Black's move it would be simple, as he would have to
21
move his Rook away from the King (find out why),
and then the Rook would be comparatively easy to
win. We deduce from the above that the main object is
to force the Black Rook away from the defending
King, and that, in order to compel Black to do so, we
must bring about the position in the diagram with
Black to move. Once we know what is required, the
way to proceed becomes easier to find.
The procedure here is very similar. The things to bear
in mind are that the Rook must be prevented from
interposing at b8 because of an immediate mate, and in
the same way the King must be prevented from going
either a6 or c8.
We shall now examine a more difficult position.
Many players would be deceived by this position. The
most likely looking move is not the best.
Note, in these examples, that the checks at long range
along the diagonals have often been the key to all the
winning manoeuvres. Also that the Queen and King
are often kept on different lines. The student should
carefully go over these positions and consider all the
possibilities not given in the text.
He should once more go through everything already
written before proceeding further with the book.
22
Chapter 3
Planning a Win in Middlegame Play
I shall now give a few winning positions taken from
my own games. I have selected those that I believe can
be considered as types, i.e. positions that may easily
occur again in a somewhat similar form. A knowledge
of such positions is of great help; in fact, one cannot
know too many. It often may help the player to find,
with little effort, the right move, which he might not be
able to find at all without such knowledge.
17. Attacking Without the Aid of Knights
It is Black's move, and as he is a Knight and pawn
behind he must win quickly, if at all.

Black's last move was ...e4-e3, played with the object
of stopping what he thought was White threat, viz.:
1.Ra5, to which he would have answered 1...Qf4+ and
drawn by perpetual check. White, however, has a more
forceful move, and he mates in three moves.
White has a beautiful position, but still he had better
gain some material, if he can, before Black
consolidates his defensive position.
23
In these few examples the attacking is being done by
Rooks and Bishops in combination with the Queen.
There are no Knights to take part in the attack. We
shall now give some examples in which the Knights
play a prominent part as an attacking force.
18. Attacking with Knights as a Prominent Force
White is two pawns behind. He must therefore press
on his attack.
The student should carefully examine the position, as
the sacrifice of the Bishop in similar situations is
typical, and the chance for it is of frequent occurrence
in actual play.
24
19. Winning by Indirect Attack
We have so far given positions where the attacks were
of a violent nature and directed against the King's

position. Very often, however, in the middlegame
attacks are made against a position or against pieces,
or even pawns.
The winning of a pawn among good players of even
strength often means the winning of the game.
Hence the study of such positions is of great
importance. We give below two positions in which the
attack aims at the gain of a mere pawn as a means of
ultimately winning the game.
Black is a pawn behind, and there is no violent direct
attack against White's King. Black's pieces, however,
are very well placed and free to act, and by coordinating the action of all his pieces he is soon able
not only to regain the pawn but to obtain the better
game. The student should carefully this position and
the subsequent moves. It is a very good example of
proper co-ordination in the management of forces.
An examination of this position will show that Black's
main weakness lies in the exposed position of his
King, and in the fact that his Queen's Rook has not yet
come into the game. Indeed, if it were Black's move,
we might conclude that he would have the better game,
on account of having three pawns to two on the
Queenside, and his Bishop commanding the long

diagonal. It is, however, White's move, and he has two
courses to choose from. The obvious move, 1.Bc4,
might be good enough (see note in example). But there
is another move which completely upsets Black's
position and wins a pawn, besides obtaining the better
position.
These positions have been given with the idea of
acquainting the student with different types of
combinations. I hope they will also help to develop his
imagination, a very necessary quality in a good player.
The student should note, in all these middlegame
positions, that once the opportunity is offered, all the
pieces are thrown into action en masse when
necessary; and that all the pieces smoothly co-ordinate
their action with machine-like precision.
That, at least, is what the ideal middlegame play
should be, if it is not so altogether in these examples.

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Calculation by visualising the future positions is what

15. How to Mate with a Knight and a Bishop

Now, before going back again to the middle game and

the openings, let us see how to mate with Knight and

Bishop, and, then, how to win with a Queen against a

With a Knight and a Bishop the mate can only be

given in the corners of the same colour as the Bishop.

In this example we must mate either at a1 or h8. The

ending can be divided into two parts. Part one consists

in driving the Black King to the last line. We might

begin, as is generally done in all such cases, by

advancing the King to the centre of the board.

It will be seen that the ending is rather laborious.

There are two outstanding features: the close following

by the King, and the controlling of the squares of the

opposite colour of the Bishop by the combined action

of the Knight and King. The student will do well to

exercise himself methodically in this ending, as it

gives a very good idea of the actual power of the

pieces, and it requires foresight in order to accomplish

the mate within the fifty moves which are granted by

16. Queen against Rook

pawns. The resources of the defence are many, and

when used skilfully only a very good player will

prevail within the limit of fifty moves allowed by the

rules. (The rules is that at any moment you may

demand that your opponent mate you within fifty

moves. However, every time a piece is exchanged or a

pawn advanced the counting must begin afresh.)

This is one of the standard positions which Black can

often bring about. Now, it is White's move. If it were

Black's move it would be simple, as he would have to

and then the Rook would be comparatively easy to

win. We deduce from the above that the main object is

to force the Black Rook away from the defending

King, and that, in order to compel Black to do so, we

must bring about the position in the diagram with

Black to move. Once we know what is required, the

way to proceed becomes easier to find.

The procedure here is very similar. The things to bear

in mind are that the Rook must be prevented from

interposing at b8 because of an immediate mate, and in

the same way the King must be prevented from going

Many players would be deceived by this position. The

most likely looking move is not the best.

Note, in these examples, that the checks at long range

winning manoeuvres. Also that the Queen and King

are often kept on different lines. The student should

carefully go over these positions and consider all the

possibilities not given in the text.

He should once more go through everything already

written before proceeding further with the book.

Planning a Win in Middlegame Play

I shall now give a few winning positions taken from

my own games. I have selected those that I believe can

be considered as types, i.e. positions that may easily

occur again in a somewhat similar form. A knowledge

of such positions is of great help; in fact, one cannot