Cross-check

Cross-check

This article is about a type of move in chess. Cross checking is also a penalty in ice hockey.

In chess, a cross-check is a tactic in which a check played in response to a check, especially when the original check is blocked by a piece that itself either delivers check or reveals a discovered check from another piece. Sometimes the term is extended to cover cases in which the king moves out of check and reveals a discovered check from another piece (this is also known as a royal check); it does not generally apply to cases where the original checking piece is captured.

The cross-check is an essential tactic in winning some endgames such as those with two queens versus one or a queen and pawn versus a queen. In these cases, the defense usually tries for a perpetual check and sometimes the stronger side can stop it only by a cross-check.

Contents


Examples

A Cross-check occurs from time to time in games. It is an essential tactic in winning endgames such as two queens versus one queen, or queen and pawn versus queen, where it is used to stop a series of checks from the opponent and force the exchange of queens. It is also used in some chess problems.

Botvinnik vs. Minev game

Botvinnik vs. Minev, 1954
Solid white.svg a b c d e f g h Solid white.svg
8  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king 8
7  black king  black king  black circle  black king  black king  black king  white pawn  black king 7
6  black king  black king  xw  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king 6
5  black king  black king  white king  white queen  black king  black king  black king  black king 5
4  black king  black king  xw  xw  black king  black king  black king  black king 4
3  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king 3
2  black king  black king  black circle  black king  black king  black circle  black king  black queen 2
1  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king  black circle  black king 1
Solid white.svg a b c d e f g h Solid white.svg
Black, to move, resigned. Black dots are where the black queen can check; white dots are where the white queen can cross-check in reply.

Cross-checks are rare in actual play, though they do occur, and in some endgames, particularly queen endgames, they are very important. The position shown to the right is the final position in the famous queen endgame from the game [1] between Mikhail Botvinnik and Nikolay Minev, Amsterdam Olympiad, 1954. In the position shown, after 91. Kc5!!, Black resigned because the promising looking checks 91...Qc7+, 91...Qg1+, 91...Qf2+ and 91...Qc2+ are answered by the cross-checks 92.Qc6+, 92.Qd4+, 92.Qd4+ and 92.Qc4+ respectively, forcing an exchange of queens in all cases, which will result in the promotion of the pawn and winning the game by a basic checkmate. This is an important theme in queen endgames: the weaker side often gives a series of checks, and it is frequently important for them to avoid simplifying cross-checks such as these in reply (Burgess 2000:102–3, 458–59), (Golombek 1977). If the black queen attacks the pawn instead of checking it does no good since the promotion square of the pawn is protected by its queen.

Two queens versus one

Botvinnik vs. Ravinsky, 1944
Solid white.svg a b c d e f g h Solid white.svg
8  black king  black king  black queen  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king 8
7  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king  white pawn  black king 7
6  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king  white king  black king 6
5  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king 5
4  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king  white queen  black king  black king 4
3  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king 3
2  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king 2
1  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king 1
Solid white.svg a b c d e f g h Solid white.svg
Black resigned after 126. Qf4+.
Possible continuation
Solid white.svg a b c d e f g h Solid white.svg
8  black king  black queen  black king  black king  xw  white king  black king  black king 8
7  black king  black king  black king  black king  white queen  white queen  black king  black king 7
6  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king 6
5  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king 5
4  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king 4
3  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king 3
2  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king 2
1  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king 1
Solid white.svg a b c d e f g h Solid white.svg
Cross-check with 135. Qee8+ wins.

In the position on the left from Botvinnik-Ravinsky,[2] Black resigned. With best play according to the endgame tablebase, 126...Kb3 127.Qf7+ Ka4 128.g8=Q Qg4+ 129.Kh6 Qh4+ 130.Kg7 Qg3+ 131.Kf8 Qd6+ 132.Qe7 Qh6+ 133.Qgg7 Qf4+ 134.Qgf7 Qb8+ and the position on the right is reached. Then the cross-check 135.Qee8+ (or Qfe8+) forks the king and queen, forces an exchange, and wins the game.

Anderson problem, 1919

G.F. Anderson, 1919
Solid white.svg a b c d e f g h Solid white.svg
8  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king 8
7  black king  black king  white king  black king  white queen  black pawn  black king  black bishop 7
6  black king  black king  black pawn  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king 6
5  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king 5
4  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king 4
3  white rook  white bishop  black pawn  black king  black king  black king  black rook  black king 3
2  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king 2
1  black king  white rook  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king 1
Solid white.svg a b c d e f g h Solid white.svg

Cross-checks are relatively infrequent in actual play, but are popular in chess problems since they make for a relatively unobvious solution. In the problem shown to the right, white is to move and mate in two moves against any defence. It is by G.F. Anderson and was first published in Il Secolo in 1919. The key 1.Kd6, threatening 2.Qb7#, gives the black king two flight squares, and two of the variations exploit these: 1...Kb6 2.Bc2# and 1...Kb4 2.Kxc6#. The other two defences exploit the fact that the key exposes the white king to checks, and are answered by cross-checks: 1...Rg6+ 2.Be6# and 1...Rd3+ 2.Bd5#.

Anderson problem, 1961

G.F. Anderson, The Observer, 1961
Solid white.svg a b c d e f g h Solid white.svg
8  black king  black king  black king  white queen  black king  black bishop  black king  black knight 8
7  black rook  black king  black king  black king  black pawn  black king  black king  white king 7
6  black pawn  black king  white pawn  white pawn  white pawn  white pawn  black king  black pawn 6
5  white rook  black king  white knight  black king  black king  black knight  black king  black rook 5
4  black king  black king  white bishop  black king  black king  white rook  white pawn  black king 4
3  black king  black king  black king  black king  black pawn  black king  white bishop  white knight 3
2  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king  black pawn  black king  black queen 2
1  black king  black bishop  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king  black king 1
Solid white.svg a b c d e f g h Solid white.svg

The problem to the right, also by G.F. Anderson (first published in The Observer in 1961) and also a mate in two, features no less than five cross-checks. The key is 1.Qb6 (threat: 2.Ne4#), with the following variations:

1...exf6+ 2.Nb7#
1...exd6+ 2.Nd7#
1...Nd4+ 2.Rf5#
1...Nxd6+ 2.Nd3#
1...Nf-other+ 2.Ne4#
1...Kxf6 2.Qb2#
1...Kxd6 2.Rd4#

See also

  • pawnless chess endgame

Notes

References

Further reading

  • John Rice, Chess Wizardry: The New ABC of Chess Problems (London, Batsford, 1996)

External links


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