Be Aware of Mating Patterns

Blitz Chess at the internet chess club is frequently about which player has the biggest cache of mating patterns in his memory banks. Dkappe from the United States and playing 3 minute chess is a very aggressive player constantly pressuring his opponents.

In the following position, Black has just played Re7 to avoid  being checkmated at g7. However, there is another mating pattern that gives rise to a spectacular sacrifice! I think any serious chess player knows what is meant by the phrase mating pattern. A mating pattern is some arrangement of pieces and pawns that deliver mate.




Reaching a mating pattern often involves violent tactical operations. I don't mean violent in the cannibalistic sense of Jeffery Dahmer. Just a chess move involving shocking, irreversible action.

With White to move, see if you can find the move that  accentuates the possibility of reaching the mating pattern. Also a big shout out to Enrique Rios who used to teach chess in Texas in the United States. He stressed being aware of mating patterns in even the most sedate type of positons.