BackRank Weakness
When the king is on the backrank and can't move forward because of its own pieces, effective attacks may become possible.
Z. Polgar -- Yudasin
1991 1-0
1.exf6 gxf6
- ( 1...Rxd4 2.Re8# )
2.Qxf6 c3 3.Ne4! -
N joins the attack on helpless K and prevents Qc5+
3...c2
- ( 3...Bg6 probably the better move 4.Nxc3 Qc5+ 5.Kh1 Rf8
+- )
4.Qh6 Bg6 5.Nf6+ Kh8 6.Ne8! -
blocking and threatening mate
1-0
Gromek -- Barcza
1956 0-1
1...Bxb2 2.Rxb2??
- ( 2.Rxd5 Bxa3 -+ R can't leave backrank )
2...Rc1+ 3.Bxc1 Re1# 0-1
Reti -- Bogolyubov
1924 1-0
1.Bf7+ Kh8 2.Be8!! -
blocking backrank support
2...Rxe8
- ( 2...Qe7 3.Qxf8+ Qxf8 4.Rxf8# )
3.Qxf8+ Rxf8 4.Rxf8# 1-0
J. Koch -- Podlesnik
1992 0-1
1...Qb1 2.h3
- ( 2.Rxb1 Rxb1+ 3.Nf1 Ne2+ 4.Kh1 Rxf1# )
2...fxe3 3.Rxb1 Rxb1+ 4.Kh2 exf2!
- ( 4...e2? 5.Rd8 black now has to deal with own backrank
weakness 5...h6
( 5...Nxd5 6.exd5 Rh1+ 7.Kxh1
( 7.Kg3 Rxh3+ R was stuck there anyway 8.Kxh3 e1=Q 9.Rxf8+
Bxf8 10.Qf6+ Kg8 11.Qg5+ = )
7...e1=Q+ 8.Kh2 )
( 5...e1=Q?? 6.Rxf8+ Bxf8 7.Qf6+ Bg7
( 7...Kg8 8.Qxf7+ Kh8 9.Qxf8# )
8.Qd8+ Bf8 9.Qxf8# )
6.Rxf8+ Bxf8 7.Qf6+ Bg7 8.Qd8+ Kh7 9.Bxf7 Rh1+ to be able to get Q 10.
Kxh1 e1=Q+ 11.Kh2 h5 +- )
5.Rd8
- ( 5.Rf6 f1=N+ forcing R to capture
( 5...Bxf6? 6.Qxf6+ Kg8 7.Qg5+ = )
6.Rxf1
( 6.Kg1 Ng3+ 7.Kh2 Nce2 8.Qxg3 forced )
6...Rxf1 7.Qd2 Nxd5 8.Qxd5 Rc1 9.g4 Kg8 10.Kg3 Rfc8 -+ )
5...f1=Q 6.Rxf8+ Bxf8 7.Qxe5+ f6 8.Qe6
- ( 8.Qxc3 Bd6+ 9.e5 Bxe5+ 10.Qxe5
( 10.g3 Qf2+ )
10...fxe5 )
8...Qf4+ 9.g3 Qf2# 0-1
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