Two Pigs

Edward Winter has published several entries in Chess Notes over the years inquiring into the origins of the checkmate pattern often called blind swine. The term "blind swine" for two rooks on the seventh that cannot find checkmate was credited to Dawid Janowsky by Vladimir Vukovic (see CN 5160). Winter seeks a primary source that confirms Janowsky used the term. None have been found. The phrase has been credited to Aron Nimzowitsch as well (CN 3525).

This morning I had two rooks on the seventh and was playing for a draw because I failed to see a resource: my f-pawn could advance to support one of the rooks and produce a different two rook checkmate. In my defense, it was early morning, my first game of the day, and the game was one minute plus one second increment. Such a time control does not produce accurate play.

Stripes,J. -- Internet Opponent [D06]
Live Chess Chess.com, 11.08.2022

White to move

27.b4?! d4 28.exd4 cxd4 29.Rc7+ Kg8??

29...R8e7=

30.Rxa7 Re2+ 31.Kg3 Rd8

31...R2e7 32.Rxe7 Rxe7 33.Rc8+ Kf7 34.Rd8+-

32.Rcc7

White has two rooks on the seventh, but how is this enough to win?

32...d3

White to move

33.Rxg7+ Kf8 34.Raf7+

34.Rxh7 threatens mate.

34...Ke8 35.Rc7 Kf8

White to move

36.Rcf7+

I could have played: 36.Rxh7 Kg8 37.f5! The key move that escaped my notice.37...d2 38.Rcg7+ Kf8 39.f6 and mate comes soon.

36...Ke8 37.Rc7 Kf8 38.Rxh7 Kg8 39.Rcg7+ Kf8 40.Rf7+ Kg8 41.Rfg7+ Kf8 42.Rf7+

White seems to be playing for a draw. I was because my fear of Black's d-pawn rendered the power of my f-pawn invisible.

Black to move

42...Ke8?

42...Kg8 White must find 43.f5, which White has already shown is beyond his capacity.

43.Rc7 Re7

White to move

44.Rh8+

White finds a tactic to create the opportunity that was already on the board. It is not the rooks that are blind.

44.Rcxe7+ Kf8 45.Rb7 Kg8 46.f5

44...Kf7 45.Rh7+ Kf6 46.Rcxe7 d2 47.Rd7 White won on time 1-0