C&C Chess Club

Mate with the rook — fence and opposition

White wins White to move · Basic mates · Difficulty about Elo 800

Position: 8/8/8/3k4/8/8/8/R3K3 w - - 0 1
White to move · FEN 8/8/8/3k4/8/8/8/R3K3 w - - 0 1

The plan

The rook mate lives on three tools: (1) the FENCE — the rook bars an entire rank, the king can no longer get back across it; (2) CHECK WITH THE OPPOSITION — if the kings stand directly opposite each other and White is to move, a rook check pushes the opponent one rank further towards the edge; (3) the WAITING MOVE — if the opponent avoids the staring match, the rook loses a tempo, and Black has to face up after all. This way the king wanders rank by rank down to the back rank, where your own king covers every flight square.

Why this level: The very first mate of all

The solution, move by move

  1. 1. Ra4 The FENCE: the 4th rank is barred. Now White brings in the king — the rook alone never delivers mate.
  2. 1… Ke5
  3. 2. Ke2
    Sideline 2. Re4+ A check! And the worst move in the position: the rook places itself right at the enemy king's feet. 2… Kxe4 It's gone, a draw. The lone rook must ALWAYS keep its distance — it may only give check when its own king defends it or when it stands far enough away.
  4. 2… Kd5
  5. 3. Ke3
  6. 3… Ke5
  7. 4. Ra5+ Opposition, and White to move: NOW the rook check — the black king has to go back a rank. This is the engine of the whole mate.
  8. 4… Ke6
  9. 5. Ke4
  10. 5… Ke7
  11. 6. Ke5
  12. 6… Kd7
  13. 7. Kd5
  14. 7… Ke7
  15. 8. Ra6 The WAITING MOVE: the rook loses a tempo on the same rank. Black has to commit — if it steps aside, the white king advances; if it faces up, the check comes.
    Sideline 8. Ra7+ Why not check right away? Because the kings are not facing each other — and then the check does not push the opponent back. 8… Kf6 The king goes FORWARD instead of back, and the fence on the fifth rank is gone. The position stays won, but the work starts over. 9. Ra6+ Kg5 The black king is free again. Hence the waiting move: establish the opposition first, then give check.
  16. 8… Ke8
  17. 9. Kd6
  18. 9… Kd8
  19. 10. Ra8# Mate on the back rank: your own king covers c7, d7 and e7. Fence — march the king in — check with the opposition — waiting move — mate.

Play it yourself

In the free app C&C Chess Club you step through the line move by move, tap the sidelines and play the position out against Stockfish — no account, no ads.

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