Checkmates
The elementary checkmates are the first thing every player must be able to deliver without thinking. Drill each one against an opponent that defends perfectly, and never blunder a stalemate again.
8 positions to play
King & Queen Checkmate
White to play and win
King & Rook Checkmate
White to play and win
Two-Rook Ladder Mate
White to play and win
Bishop and Knight Mate: The Final Corner
White to play and win
Two Minor Pieces: The W-Maneuver
White to play and win
Two Bishops Checkmate
White to play and win
Bishop & Knight Checkmate
White to play and win
Kling and Horwitz: Two Bishops Against a Knight
White to play and win
Learn the theory
The written method behind these positions: what to aim for, the exact moves, and the traps that lose a won ending.
How to Checkmate in Chess
The five endings every chess player must be able to finish
King & Queen Checkmate
Mate in 10 or fewer, if you dodge the one trap
King & Rook Checkmate
The mate that teaches you what the opposition is for
Two Rooks Checkmate (Ladder Mate)
The lawnmower: rank by rank, no king required
Two Bishops Checkmate
Two diagonals side by side make an unbreakable wall
Two Knights Checkmate (Why It Fails)
Enough material to mate, and no way to force it
Back-Rank Mate
Three loyal pawns, one undefended rank
Stalemate vs Checkmate
One wins the game. The other throws the win away.
Practice endlessly
Once you know the model, drill an endless stream of fresh, tablebase-verified variations of the same pattern.
