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CHECKMATING WITH ONE ROOK! 1. Kc2-d3 The only active move. There was no point in moving the rook. 1... Kf4-g4 The black king can't go past the 6th rank because the rook controls it. All it can do is to attack the rook in the hope that the opponent will make a mistake and live the rook in its place 2. Rh5-a5 Kg4-f4 3. Ra5-d5 3... Kf4-f3 4. Rd5-f5+ White takes advantage of the fact that the two kings are in opposition and checks the king. Now the king loses another rank by: 4... Kf3-g3. As a general rule,you should know that in this kind of endgame the side which is about to checkmate will always try to gain opposition; this way he will be able to force the opponent's king towards the edge of the board by checking it. 5. Kd3-e3 Kg3-g4 6. Rf5-d5 And now the black king is forced to enter opposition 6... Kg4-g3 and of course White takes advantage : 7. Rd5-g5+ Kg3-h3 8. Ke3-f3 Kh3-h2 9. Rg5-h5!? But what is this!? The black king is allowed to escape the h file! But wait there is more to this then meets the eye! 9... Kh2-g1 10. Rh5-h8 (This is a waiting move. This kind of moves are made with no specific purpose other then that to wait for the opponent to make his move). White did this move because Black is in a zugzwang position, and now he is forced to make a bad move. 10... Kg1-f1 And now he entered in opposition 11. Rh8-h1 Checkmate!

I was playing white. This is one example of how to punish a play who falls behind in devlopment. The Opening was the Sicilian Morra Gambit. Don't for a moment think that only beginners fall behind in development. My oppnent was a seasoned "A" class player.

Zugzwang is a situation that takes place when a player that has his turn to move is forced to make that move even if it will cause him a disadvantage. There are times when you can play in such a manner that you can bring your opponent in a zugzwang situation. 1. Kc5-d5 Kc7-d7 2. c4-c5 Kd7-c7 3. c5-c6 Kc7-c8 4. Kd5-d6 Kc8-d8 5. c6-c7+ Kd8-c8 6. Kd6-c6 And voila the Black is official in a zugzwang position. If it wasn't the pawn at h7 then this would have been stalemate.But, that is not the case. White has intentionally lead the game to a zugzwang position for Back. Now Black is forced to move its free pawn. 6... h7-h6 7. g5:h6 ( Or 6... h7-h5 7.g5:h6(by enpassant) ) 7... g6-g5 8. h6-h7 g5-g4 9. h7-h8 The pawn is promoted into a rook and it's checkmate for the black king ; White wins.

LEGAL MATE! This checkmate is famous. The game was played in 1750 at Paris between the Legal and the Saint-Brie knight. The opening is called Philidor Defense. 1. e2-e4 e7-e5 2. Ng1-f3 d7-d6 3. Bf1-c4 Bc8-g4 4. Nb1-c3 g7-g6 5. Nf3:e5 White sacrifices the queen! Black doesn't understand the consequences of what he is about to do and captures the queen! 5... Bg4:d1 After this the mate will immediately occur! 6. Bc4:f7+ Ke8-e7 7. Nc3-d5! Checkmate!

FOOL'S MATE This is the worst possible combinations of moves White can do! 1. f2-f3 e7-e5 2. g2-g4 And with this, White manages to completely remove his king's defense! Black takes advantage of this and: 2... Qd8-h4 Black wins! This is sometimes called Fool's mate; you might guess why that is!