Lessons

Smothered Mate: The Knight's Best Trick

Queen and knight chase the king into the corner. Then the queen gives herself up so the knight can mate alone.

4 moves to find

Italian Game: Build the Perfect Pawn Centre

The classic c3 and d4 plan: aim a bishop at f7, then take over the centre while Black's bishop keeps getting kicked.

7 moves to find

Give Up Your Queen to Fork Theirs

A queen sacrifice lures the king onto the one square where your knight forks king and queen.

4 moves to find

Face the King: Winning With the Opposition

Pushing the pawn only draws. Put your king face to face with Black's, make him step aside, and escort the pawn home.

5 moves to find

Noah's Ark Trap: Bury the Spanish Bishop

White's queen grabs a pawn on d4 in the Ruy Lopez. Chase it with your pawns and the bishop on b3 has nowhere to run.

7 moves to find

Pin the Queen to Her King

Trade your queen for two rooks, then use a bishop to pin Black's queen against the king.

4 moves to find

Skewer: Check the King, Take What's Behind

Force a queen trade in the corner so your rook checks the king and wins the rook hiding behind it.

4 moves to find

Queen Mate Without the Stalemate

Fence the king in on the back rank, walk your own king up, then finish. One careless queen move and it is only a draw.

5 moves to find

Blow Open the King's Shelter

A rook sacrifice on h2 tears away the pawn cover. Then your queen and the rook on the g-file finish the job.

4 moves to find

Give Up the Queen, Win the King

Black's king is boxed in by its own pawns. Break through on the back rank, starting with a queen sacrifice.

4 moves to find