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The two-rook ladder
Two rooks climb like a ladder and mate without the king's help.
Beginner · Basic checkmates · 3 steps. On Chess Castles, Chess Guru reads each step aloud in English, Hindi or Marathi while the moves play on the board, and you can practise any position against the engine.
Step 1
Two rooks are so strong that they do not need their king. One rook builds a wall, the other gives check, then they take turns, like climbing a ladder, until the king falls off the edge of the board.
Step 2
Moves: 1.Ke2 Kc5 2.Kd3 Kb6 3.Rh6+ Kc7 4.Kc4 Kb7 5.Rh7+ Kb6 6.Ra8 Kc6 7.Ra6#
Watch the ladder: check, wall, check, wall. If the king comes close to a rook, move that rook far away along the same row and keep climbing.
Step 3
Moves: 1.Rh8#
The final picture: the rook on the 7th rank is the wall, the other rook checks on the 8th. Checkmate!
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More lessons in Basic checkmates
- Checkmate with king and queen: The box method: shrink the king's space, bring your king, finish without stalemate.
- Checkmate with king and rook: The rook cuts the board, the kings face each other, and the rook checks.
Next lesson: King leads the pawn