Vienna · 1910
Back Rank Mate
Richard Réti vs. Savielly Tartakower — Réti gives up his queen to drag the king onto the mating square.
LevelBeginnerElo600–800ThemeKing safetyMoves11
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Moves · tap to jump
0/210/21
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Starting position
Ready
Press Auto-play to watch the game, or step move by move.
Main lesson
Make an escape square before your back rank becomes a target.
What your student should learn
- Make an escape square for your king before it is needed.
- Rooks belong on open files.
- Castling into an open file can be dangerous.
- A queen sacrifice is fine when mate follows by force.
Mini tournament checklist
- ✓ Does my king have an escape square?
- ✓ Is my back rank defended by more than one piece?
- ✓ Are any enemy rooks or queens on an open file?
- ✓ Can I make a safe pawn move for luft now?
Run through this list before you start an attack in a real game. Mostly yes means look for tactics; otherwise improve one more piece first.
Full move list
A Quiet Caro-Kann
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Castling Into the Open File
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The Back Rank Decides
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Note: Best short game to teach why a “luft” move matters.