rules, tactics, strategies and history

Sacrifice Example X

A mating position which has not been discussed up to now but which occurs frequently enough in the actual game to warrant its special pieces tion is one in which the King is deprived of all mobility by its own pieces who surround him and in which a hostile Knight can check the King. The game below offers an example.

								8
								7
								6
								5
								4
								3
								2
								1
a	b	c	d	e	f	g	h

White on the move can force the mate by (1) R-d8, a very surprising sacrifice indeed, for not only can Black take the Rook with either Queen or Rook but he can also take White's Queen. In the latter case, however, he would be mated in two moves by (2) Rxe8+, Q-g8; (3) Kt-f7. This is one example of the "throttled mate" by the Knight. Another one, which is really the typical one, occurs if Black takes the Rook instead of the Queen. The mating process then is: (2) Kt-f7+, K-g8; (3) Kt-h6 double check, K-h8; (4) Q-g8+, Rxg8; (5) Kt-f7+/-. White could not have played Q- g8+ right on the second move because then Black would have taken the Queen with the King, while he could not do so with White's Knight on h6.