This six exercises should be simple, but they have proven torturously difficult for young beginners who cannot curb the tendency to always check. In every case, the correct first move is not check. I created these in 2015 for several groups of young chess players. They were used again this week for my after school chess club.
Find the move for White that leads to checkmate in the fewest moves.
You may practice these on an interactive board on Lichess ("Elementary Checkmates 1"). Master these exercises.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Some notes on the positions.
1. This is a variation of the first checkmate I learned when I was a beginner. It is a simpler version of a basis exercise that appears in many books, such diagram 24 in Jose Capablanca, A Primer of Chess (1935), where Black's king is on e5 and White forces mate in six.
2. This position is nearly identical to one in Bruce Pandolfini, Pandolfini's Endgame Course (1988), a book that I recommend highly to beginning chess players who intend to develop their skills. See Endgame 9 in that text.
3. This position is derived from a sub-optimal solution to number four. It is the conclusion to a mate in five from a position where White can mate in four.
4. White mates in four. Position is from William Lewis, Elements of Chess (1819), as is number 6. Both were presented in October in "Elementary". I use these two often in my teaching because I think the lessons learned while mastering them are of great value.
5. The idea here is identical to the exercise derived from Pandolfini, but the position is identical to one in Lewis, Elements.
6. White forces checkmate in five moves. Only once does Black have a choice of squares.
1. This is a variation of the first checkmate I learned when I was a beginner. It is a simpler version of a basis exercise that appears in many books, such diagram 24 in Jose Capablanca, A Primer of Chess (1935), where Black's king is on e5 and White forces mate in six.
2. This position is nearly identical to one in Bruce Pandolfini, Pandolfini's Endgame Course (1988), a book that I recommend highly to beginning chess players who intend to develop their skills. See Endgame 9 in that text.
3. This position is derived from a sub-optimal solution to number four. It is the conclusion to a mate in five from a position where White can mate in four.
4. White mates in four. Position is from William Lewis, Elements of Chess (1819), as is number 6. Both were presented in October in "Elementary". I use these two often in my teaching because I think the lessons learned while mastering them are of great value.
5. The idea here is identical to the exercise derived from Pandolfini, but the position is identical to one in Lewis, Elements.
6. White forces checkmate in five moves. Only once does Black have a choice of squares.
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