Artificial Back Rank Mate

Grandmanok, from the country of Brunei, plays a lot of 3 minute blitz chess at ICC. He is not fond of weak pawn structures and does not like to sacrifice material.

In the following game, Grandmanok played g3 intending to evict the knight at f4. This mating steed attacks the squares g2 and e2 which happen to be escape squares for the White Monarch placed on back rank at f1.



Had white pawns been positioned on these squares, then a standard back rank mate would have existed. The Knight surveilling these squares creates the same but artificial effect of a back rank mate which was executed with Rook to b1 mate.

So despite White's extra pawn and better pawn structure, tactics decided this error prone type of chess competition.

 This game did not end peacefully for this citizen of  the Abode of Peace in southeast Asia which has had conflicts with both Spain and England over the years. Such is the nature of the war game chess which attracts players from all cultures.