METHOD
Reading edition
OF GIVING CHECK-MATE WITH A SINGLE ROOK.
Situation of the White.
The king at his 4th square.
The rook at its king’s rook’s square.
Situation of the Black.
The king at his 3d square.
1.
W. The rook gives check.
B. The king at his 2d square.
2.
W. The king at the adverse king’s 4th square.
B. The king at his queen’s 2d square.(a)
(a) His king must be opposite to yours, previously to each time of your giving check with your rook; because his king is then forced, by the check, to retrograde.
3.
W. The rook at the adverse king’s knight’s 3d.(b)
B. The king at his queen’s bishop’s 2d.
4.
W. The king at the adverse queen’s 4th.
B. The king at his queen’s knight’s 2d.
5.
W. The king at the adverse queen’s bishop’s 4th.
B. The king at his queen’s rook’s 2d.
6.
W. The king at the adverse queen’s knight’s 4th.
B. The king at his queen’s knight’s 2d.(c)
7.
W. The rook gives check, at the adverse king’s knight’s 2d.
B. The king at his queen’s bishop’s square.
(b) If you had played your king opposite to his, he would have restored his king to its previous place; whereas, should he on this move play his king to the face of yours, you may force him back by the check of your rook.
(c) In the present case he is obliged to place his king opposite to yours, or absolutely to abandon the rank.
8.
W. The king at the adverse queen’s bishop’s 3d.
B. The king at his queen’s square.
9.
W. The rook at the adverse queen’s rook’s 2d.
B. The king at his square.
10.
W. The king at the adverse queen’s 3d.
B. The king at his bishop’s square.
11.
W. The king at the adverse king’s 3d.
B. The king at his knight’s square.
12.
W. The king at the adverse king’s bishop’s 3d.
B. The king at his rook’s square.
13.
W. The king at the adverse king’s knight’s 3d.
B. The king at his knight’s square.
14.
W. The rook gives check-mate.
There is another mode of giving check-mate with a rook, which may be practised with great facility, and which will, in general, be found more summary than that which has been exhibited. A description of it, sufficiently intelligible, may be conveyed to the player, without a notation of the moves. The principle of it, is, to confine the adverse king in a square, two sides of which are formed by the extremities of the board, and two sides by two impassable lines, running from the station of the rook. This station must, at the commencement, prescribe all possible limitation; and the square you continually abridge, by the progression of the rook, supported by the king. When the adverse king is reduced to an area of four squares, it will be proper to suspend the action of the rook, leaving him in the great diagonal, on the third square from the corner. The interim will be employed in seating your own king on the third square of the rank or the file. This completes the preparation for check-mate.