Tips & Tricks

Lolli's mate: Use the setup of a fianchetto-structure to invade the enemy king with your queen and pawns.

Back rank mate: In beginner games, this mating pattern is quite common: deliver checkmate with a rook or queen if the enemy king is stuck behind its own pawns.

Arabian mate: Combine your knight and rook to checkmate the enemy king in the corner of the board.

Work together: You simply can't deliver checkmate with only one piece, so combine your pieces optimally to create a strong trap for the king!

Sacrifice: Often, checkmate patterns do not appear out of nowhere. You have to force it into the position with a sacrifice or smart setup. 

Any questions about the puzzles? Discuss the positions in the next chess evening!

Tips & Tricks

Opposition: When two kings are facing each other with one square in between, you do not want to have the move!

Pawn race: Calculate if you or your opponent is first to promote in a pawn race. Note: you can still be winning if you promote one move later, but promote to a queen with a check. 

Active king: Normally, your king is watching the game from a far and safe place. In the endgame however, your king must help to assist your pawns to promotion!

Rule of the square: If the enemy king can walk inside the "box" of your passed pawn, you can't promote without help of other pieces.

Any questions about the puzzles? Discuss the positions in the next chess evening!

Tips & Tricks

Forks: Watch out for the tricky knight! Be aware of double attacks if two of your pieces are on the same colored square, same row or same diagonal.

Pins: Pinned pieces can't move without exposing a higher ranking piece. You can exploit this by lining up all your pieces on the pinned piece and try to win it.

Knight outpost: Knights on the 5th or 6th rank that cannot be taken by enemy pawns are real octopuses, controlling 8 squares. Such a knight is often worth as much as a rook!

Battery: Two pieces are better at attacking than one piece! Line up your rooks on key files or line up the queen and bisshop on a n open diagonal.

Any questions about the puzzles? Discuss the positions in the next chess evening!