Discover how mating ideas can instantly reshape a position, overturn the evaluation, and derail your opponent’s plans. We’ll examine one opening example and one middlegame example in which a sudden mating threat becomes the key intermezzo that changes everything.
Example 1:
Black's last move Nf6 attacking our queen. Black's counting on Qe2 followed by Bf5:
White comes up with a better idea - 1.Ne5! threatening Bxf7 mate
Black is forced to play 1...e6, White simply retreats 2.Qe2
This nice intermezzo allowed White to prevent Black's light-squared bishop from developing to f5.
Example 2:
In the position below, White's last move was ed taking the pawn. Black saw the move and had something in mind!
1...Bxc3 counting on 2.bc ed with equal chances
White did not comply - 2.Qe4! threatening mate!
2...Rd8 3.d6! another mating threat and a discovery!
3...Rxd6 4.Qxa8
White is completely winning now as he is already up an exchange and is threatening to take both the b8 knight and the c3 bishop.