The goal of chess is of course to checkmate your opponent. That can be done in different ways.

Chess often revolves around pattern recognition. Once you have studied those patterns and know them by heart, it is a lot easier to see how to checkmate an opponent during a game. That’s what this book is about.

Of course you have not read anything new with this introductory text. But reading (or hearing) and knowing is often something different than doing it in practice. That is precisely why this is such a usefull book. You can practice a lot and will never forget the patterns you have learned.

Contents

It is hardly surprising. The book is divided into 10 chapters. With a theme each time. For example, mate with:

• a rook,
• the queen,
• the rook and bishop,
• the queen and knight,
• two minor pieces and a pawn.

In short: ten chapters with all kinds of mating patterns. The author introduces each chapter with patterns typical for that chapter. Below you will find some examples of mating patterns with a rook.

You will find countless well-known mating patterns in the book. As shown above also basic patterns. But there are mating patterns I was not aware of. That gives the book extra value.

The explanation

The author spends relatively little ink on explaining these patterns. That also makes sense. You have to see them. Those who like to ‘see’ will find a rich treasure trove with countless examples.

The author introduces each chapter with the patterns that match the theme in question. He then gives examples with a brief explanation. There are wonderful examples. Take the diagram below from the chapter mating with the queen. The author says about this:

“The black queen has rather carelessly allowed herself to be cut off far from the scene of battle and can clearly not help to defend her king, over which storm-clouds are gathering. This theme is a principal one in many combinations and we will see it many times more. However, to achieve success, we need to work on the pawn shield around the black king.”

Vladimir Barsky

In general, the examples in the introductions are more difficult and complex than the exercises that follow. The book contains no fewer than 851 exercises. It will keep you busy for a while.

For whom?

It is a wonderful exercise book. I am thinking of club players with a rating of 1500 or higher. But stronger players can also enjoy this book a lot. This book is well suited for chess trainers who teach at step 4/4 + level. Review:

A Modern Guide to Checkmating Patterns – Improve Your Ability to Spot Typical Mates. Order here…

Publisher: New In Chess
ISBN number: 978-90-5691-887-3
Number of pages: 255
Published: 2020
Price: € 24.95
Sample pages…