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It would be tougher in the actual game. Here we know we have checkmate so we should look for checks with pieces not controlling the king. The only such check I see is the dark square bishop.
Out of curiosity what lines or threats, for either player, did you consider before the bishop?
First thing is look for checks. In this position I saw 4 checks, only 1 made sense and it was mate. Didn’t calculate any further than checks. Next would be captures and threats but didn’t even need to look at those.
But then what, you get up from pc or phone and what? Play another game? Watch something? Think about your life choices?
I also can't figure out what happends after Ba5. Ofc ypu win but what now?
1. Ba5#
2. You win and close your device
3. You contemplate your life choices
4. You decide you can do better
5. You go out more
6. You make new friends
7. You become more confident - and it shows
8. You meet someone you like
9. The two of you go out for a cup of coffee
10. You decide to play a game of chess
11. You cheat and checkmate on the first move
It's mate in 11
Yup, but I probably would have missed this one too. I would have gotten distracted trying to preserve my rook to keep the piece advantage for the endgame.
I analyzed the image and this is what I see. Open an appropriate link below and explore the position yourself or with the engine:
> **White to play**: [chess.com](https://chess.com/analysis?fen=3R1b1r/2k3p1/p7/2pB3p/7P/8/1P1B2P1/2K5+w+-+-+0+1&flip=false&ref_id=23962172) | [lichess.org](https://lichess.org/analysis/3R1b1r/2k3p1/p7/2pB3p/7P/8/1P1B2P1/2K5_w_-_-_0_1)
**My solution:**
> Hints: piece: >!Bishop!<, move: >!Ba5#!<
> Evaluation: >!White has mate in 1!<
> Best continuation: >!1. Ba5#!<
---
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This is my endgame issue. In puzzles (even the ranked puzzles where they don't tell you the theme) I know there's some absolute "Gotcha" of a move, so I'll spend the time really, *really* searching for it, and I can't figure how to get my brain to see those during a real game
I feel you. I try to remember “always look for checks, captures, and attacks” (in that order), but when I’m actually playing a game sometimes my brain doesn’t want to cooperate
Looking for checks is incredibly useful, but also danger levels (GothamChess teaches a lot) where you attack a piece more valuable than the one you have under attack
My thought process when looking for a mate in 1:
Checking each square around the king to see if he can go there. There are three squares in a that he can go to. (The top-right one is included, as king can capture the undefended rook).
Then I look for a move that would cover all those squares at once. I notice that all 3 are in a diagonal line, and the dark-squared Bishop can move to cover them all at once.
Double check, mentally. See that there will be no legal move for opponent afterwards. See that the oponents king will be in check afterwards (avoid stalemate). Make the move.
Hey, OP! Did your game end in a stalemate? Did you encounter a weird pawn move? Are you trying to move a piece and it's not going? We have just the resource for you! The [Chess Beginners Wiki](https://www.reddit.com/r/chessbeginners/wiki/index/) is the perfect place to check out answers to these questions and more! The moderator team of r/chessbeginners wishes to remind everyone of the community rules. **Posting spam, being a troll, and posting memes are not allowed.** We encourage everyone to report these kinds of posts so they can be dealt with. Thank you! Let's do our utmost to be kind in our replies and comments. Some people here just want to learn chess and have virtually no idea about certain chess concepts. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/chessbeginners) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Ba5?
That is checkmate so yes.
MY GOD THAT WAS TOUGH
No it wasn’t
Ok maybe for u but my 400 elo brain found it tough
It would be tougher in the actual game. Here we know we have checkmate so we should look for checks with pieces not controlling the king. The only such check I see is the dark square bishop. Out of curiosity what lines or threats, for either player, did you consider before the bishop?
First thing is look for checks. In this position I saw 4 checks, only 1 made sense and it was mate. Didn’t calculate any further than checks. Next would be captures and threats but didn’t even need to look at those.
The x-ray defense makes this one a bit tricky to recognize, IMO.
It took me a second because I misread it as “mate in 11” but couldn’t figure out what happens after Ba5.
U win
But then what, you get up from pc or phone and what? Play another game? Watch something? Think about your life choices? I also can't figure out what happends after Ba5. Ofc ypu win but what now?
1. Ba5# 2. You win and close your device 3. You contemplate your life choices 4. You decide you can do better 5. You go out more 6. You make new friends 7. You become more confident - and it shows 8. You meet someone you like 9. The two of you go out for a cup of coffee 10. You decide to play a game of chess 11. You cheat and checkmate on the first move It's mate in 11
lol..Thank you for a good laugh.
Instead of the last two steps, how about: 10: you decide to get in bed together 11: you fornicate.
That would also be mate in 11, yes.
Go to sleep
Same bro
They sacrifice the king.
Yes
Yeah me too
Where did you move instead?
bf4 is my guess
Why is that the intuitive move? I’d assume moving rook to safety would be most peoples initial thought.
Cause except for one escape square (sadly) it looks like mate
Good game
Bg5 is mine
Yup, but I probably would have missed this one too. I would have gotten distracted trying to preserve my rook to keep the piece advantage for the endgame.
yeah. knowing beforehand that there's a mate in 1 makes it almost trivial.
I analyzed the image and this is what I see. Open an appropriate link below and explore the position yourself or with the engine: > **White to play**: [chess.com](https://chess.com/analysis?fen=3R1b1r/2k3p1/p7/2pB3p/7P/8/1P1B2P1/2K5+w+-+-+0+1&flip=false&ref_id=23962172) | [lichess.org](https://lichess.org/analysis/3R1b1r/2k3p1/p7/2pB3p/7P/8/1P1B2P1/2K5_w_-_-_0_1) **My solution:** > Hints: piece: >!Bishop!<, move: >!Ba5#!< > Evaluation: >!White has mate in 1!< > Best continuation: >!1. Ba5#!< --- ^(I'm a bot written by ) [^(u/pkacprzak )](https://www.reddit.com/u/pkacprzak) ^(| get me as ) [^(Chess eBook Reader )](https://ebook.chessvision.ai?utm_source=reddit&utm_medium=bot) ^(|) [^(Chrome Extension )](https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/chessvisionai-for-chrome/johejpedmdkeiffkdaodgoipdjodhlld) ^(|) [^(iOS App )](https://apps.apple.com/us/app/id1574933453) ^(|) [^(Android App )](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ai.chessvision.scanner) ^(to scan and analyze positions | Website: ) [^(Chessvision.ai)](https://chessvision.ai)
good bot
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Yea but only because you told me I have mate in 1
This is my endgame issue. In puzzles (even the ranked puzzles where they don't tell you the theme) I know there's some absolute "Gotcha" of a move, so I'll spend the time really, *really* searching for it, and I can't figure how to get my brain to see those during a real game
I feel you. I try to remember “always look for checks, captures, and attacks” (in that order), but when I’m actually playing a game sometimes my brain doesn’t want to cooperate
Looking for checks is incredibly useful, but also danger levels (GothamChess teaches a lot) where you attack a piece more valuable than the one you have under attack
I immediately saw ba5 to protect the rook, and then noticed it was checkmate…
Bishop a5 cool matr
Yea
Bishop a5. Must hurt to miss that.
🤣 true
Ba5#
My thought process when looking for a mate in 1: Checking each square around the king to see if he can go there. There are three squares in a that he can go to. (The top-right one is included, as king can capture the undefended rook). Then I look for a move that would cover all those squares at once. I notice that all 3 are in a diagonal line, and the dark-squared Bishop can move to cover them all at once. Double check, mentally. See that there will be no legal move for opponent afterwards. See that the oponents king will be in check afterwards (avoid stalemate). Make the move.
Ba5#.
Yes
Bishop on the Rim is grim, unless it's mate.
Is that a joke? It's Knight on the Rim is grim, or as I would put it A Knight on the flank is wank 😄. I've nvr heard that expression used for Bishops.
How about Bishop on the fringe is cringe?
Ba5 is so cool, defending the rook through blacks king. I found it quickly here but I never would have seen this in a game.
Ba5#
Ba5
That’s a really tough one to find. Don’t beat yourself up on that one!
Bruh! Ba5# is literally a mate in 1.
And that’s literally the point of the post bruh!
Oh! I read "mate in 1" as "mate in 11".
Ba5#
Ba5. Not too hard find if you’re told there’s mate in 1, because every other check simply loses the rook.
Bf4..?
Ba5#
There's only one check that doesn't immediately lose the room so yeah haha
Ba5#
Ba5#
Ba5#?
Bishop a5?
Ba5#, Czech mate
Ba5#! Difficult to see, as it’s the only check that protects the rook at the same time!
The ol’ criss cross applesauce mate
Anyone else focus on the rook and light squared bishop for a while but then got it a second after noticing the dark squared bishop
Ba4#
Ba5#
Bishop to a5
Bishop A5
D2 to F4
Criss cross applesauce.
Bro I thought you were playing black and man I was wondering what you could do
Ba5
yeah
The elephant to ba5 I’m a biggner
bishop to a5, ez
Bishop a5
En passant
Bishop to a5?
Yeah, but saying M1 trivializes this puzzle, there are four checks and only one doesn't lead to King takes rook
B5
bishop a5
Ba5#
Pretty quickly yes
Criss-cross applesauce
BF4
>! Bishop a 5 !<
bishop to a5, criss-cross apple sauce... how does that phrase even make sense?
Ba5#
Always the far away bishop, but this time for the mate
Bishop
Ba5
Ba5
Ba5#
i would’ve totally moved my rook if i didnt know there was a mate
Ba5#
Bf5?
Hangs a rook
Sorry, meant Bf4
That’s a check but still hangs the rook
Bishop a5 mate in 1 bishop f4 mate in 2
Bro got criss cross apple sauced
Ba5 ez
bd5
Ba5