Essential Checkmates II

Description

♟️ What will you learn?

Volume I established the fundamental checkmate patterns. This second volume moves to patterns that require more: coordinating several pieces, sacrificing material to open lines and deliberately blocking the opponent king’s escape squares. Queen sacrifices are the clearest example: the calculation is longer and confidence in the solution harder to maintain. The only way to build that confidence is practising with real positions until the pattern becomes automatic.

🎯 Who is this book for?

• Players who have completed Volume I and are ready for the next level
• Intermediate players developing tactical vision in positions with piece coordination and material sacrifice
• Coaches looking for thematically organised mate pattern material for intermediate students

📖 Contents

7 thematic chapters (continuing chapter numbering from Vol. I): Chapter 6 — Rook and minor piece mates (pp.6-15 / pp.16-21), Chapter 7 — The deadly rook pair (pp.22-27 / pp.28-31), Chapter 8 — Destroying the defences (pp.32-40 / pp.41-47), Chapter 9 — Death on the rook’s file (pp.48-56 / pp.57-63), Chapter 10 — Queen sacrifices (pp.64-79 / pp.80-89), Chapter 11 — Mate by opening lines (pp.90-98 / pp.99-103), Chapter 12 — Mate by blocking squares (pp.104-108 / pp.109-112). Player index included.

👤 About the author

John Nunn (born 1955): English Grandmaster, four-time Olympiad gold medallist, triple World Chess Solving Champion. Series preface by GM Murray Chandler.

♟️ Why we recommend it at Chesscul

At Chesscul this second volume introduces patterns most commonly missed in club chess: queen sacrifices and rook’s-file mates are positions where the opponent rarely calculates to the end and where errors are frequent even in experienced players.

🔗 Recommended companions

• Essential Checkmates I: the first volume — the necessary starting point.
• Essential Checkmates III: the third volume with the most advanced patterns.
• Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess: the ideal complement with the famous circular format.