What it teaches
Georges Renaud and Victor Kahn organized the whole world of checkmate into families of named patterns: Anastasia's mate, Boden's mate, the Arabian mate, Greco's mate, Legall's mate, the smothered mate, the epaulette mate and many more. Each chapter shows the basic pattern, explains how the pieces cooperate, then shows how it arises in real games, often after a sacrifice that only makes sense once you know the target.
The book is old and compact, but its structure is timeless: if you know the final picture, you can find the path to it.
Who it's for
Improving players from about 1000 to 1800 who have learned basic tactics and want to recognize mating nets faster. It makes an excellent companion to attacking and tactics books.
How to get the most from it
Study one pattern at a time and set each basic position up on a board. Then look for the pattern in puzzle sets and your own games. Naming the mates out loud sounds silly and works surprisingly well.
Key takeaways
- Checkmates fall into families of recognizable patterns.
- Knowing the final picture makes the path to it much easier to find.
- Sacrifices that seem reckless often simply force a known mating pattern.
- Naming the patterns makes them easier to recall during a game.
Read next
Put the patterns to use in attacks with The Art of Attack in Chess, and drill them at volume with Chess: 5334 Problems, Combinations and Games. Younger players should start with How to Beat Your Dad at Chess.
