Observe, that you have not given him one check before you check-mated him: this will show you that it is by no means necessary to check frequently with the Queen; it is often bad play, as the Q., from her peculiar power, is able, without the assistance of the King, to force the adverse King to one of the angles of the board. Black, on the first move, might have advanced towards the centre of the board, instead of playing to his B. 2d sq.; the variation we shall presently give, will show you how you ought to play in that case. You might, on the 4th move, have confined his King to his K. Bishop's, K. Knight's, and K. Rook's squares, by playing your Q. to her 7th sq., instead of advancing your K., but it would have been losing a move, because the moment your K. is at his K. B. 6th sq., you will check-mate him, whether his K. be at his own sq., or at K. B., K. Kt., or K. sq., 7. You should not move Q. to K. B. 7th because you would stale-mate your adversary; you ought to play K. to his B. 5th sq., and afterwards check-mate with the Q. at K. R. 7th sq., or at K. Kt's 5th. In this and similar situations, when your adversary' King is already on the last line, endeavour to confine him. there; in the present instance, your first move should be Q. to her Kt. 7th sq., afterwards playing her to her 7th sq., or at once moving up King. The next position will show you that the Queen alone has the power of forcing the adverse King to one of the corners of the board. You will observe by the above moves that the Queen be mg able alone to force the King to an angle of the board, you might first effect that, and then bring up your King ir order to check-mate, but it would take more moves than when the King assists the Queen in compelling the K. to the side of the board. Do not play your Q. nearer the K. than she now is, for if you were on the 10th move to play Q. to K. Kt. 6th, you would stale-mate your adversary. LESSON VI. METHOD OF CHECK-MATING WITH BOTH ROOKS. THIS check-mate is very simple, and may be given without the assistance of the King. |