Perpetual check

Perpetual check

In the game of chess, perpetual check is a situation in which one player can force a draw by an unending series of checks. Such a situation typically arises when the player who is checking cannot deliver checkmate, while any other move gives the opponent a chance to win. Perpetual check is no longer one of the rules of chess. However, such a situation will eventually result in a draw by either threefold repetition or the fifty move rule, but usually players agree to a draw harvcol|Burgess|2000|p=478.

Perpetual check can also occur in other chess variants, although the rules relating to it may be different. For example, giving perpetual check is not allowed (an automatic loss for the giver) in both shogi and xiangqi.

Examples

Chess diagram|=
tright

=8 | | | | | | |kd| |=7 | | | | | |pd|pd| |=6 | | |ql| | | | |pd|=5 | | | | | | | | |=4 | | | | | | | | |=3 | | | | | |pl| |pl|=2 |rd| | |qd| | |pl| |=1 | | | | | | |kl| |=
White to move gets a draw by perpetual check, starting with 1. Qc8+.

In this diagram, Black is ahead a rook, which would normally be a decisive material advantage. But White, to move, can draw by perpetual check:: 1. Qc8+ Kh7: 2. Qf5+ Kg8 (or 2... Kh8): 3. Qc8+ Kh7: 4. Qf5+ g6: 5. Qxf7+ Kh8: 6. Qf8+ Kh7: 7. Qf7+ etc.

Unzicker-Averbakh

Chess diagram|=
tright
Unzicker-Averbakh
=8 | | | | | |rd|kd| |=7 | |rd|pl| | | |pd|pd|=6 |pd| | | | |nd| | |=5 | | | |pl|pd| | | |=4 | |pl| | |pl|qd| | |=3 | | |ql| | | | |pl|=2 |pl| | | | | |pl| |=1 |rl| | | |rl| |kl| |= a b c d e f g h
Perpetual check extricates Black from his difficulties.

In the second diagram, from Unzicker-Averbakh, Stockholm Interzonal 1952, [http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1153024] Black (on move) would soon be forced to give up one of his rooks for White's c-pawn (to prevent it from promoting or to capture the promoted queen after promotion). He can, however, exploit the weakness of White's kingside pawn structure with :1... Rxc7!:2. Qxc7 Ng4! (threatening 3...Qh2#) :3. hxg4 Qf2+ salvaging a draw by threefold repetition with checks on h4 and f2.

Hamppe-Meitner

Chess diagram|=
tright
Hamppe-Meitner
=8 |rd| |bd|kd| | | |rd|=7 | | |pd| | |pd|pd|pd|=6 | |pd|kl| | | | | |=5 |pd| | |pd|pd| | | |=4 | | | | | | | | |=3 |pl| | | | | | | |=2 | |pl|pl|pl| | |pl|pl|=1 |rl| |bl|ql| | |nl|rl|= a b c d e f g h
Down massive amounts of material, Black forces a draw by perpetual check.

In the classic game Hamppe-Meitner, Vienna 1872, [http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1250160] following a series of sacrifices Black forces the game to the position in the diagram, a perpetual check: :16...Bb7+!:17.Kb5 (17.Kxb7?? Kd7 18.Qg4+ Kd6 followed by ...Rhb8#) :17...Ba6+:18.Kc6 (18.Ka4?? Bc4 and 19...b5#) :18...Bb7+ ½-½

Leko-Kramnik

Chess diagram|=
tright
Leko-Kramnik, Corus, 2008
=
rd| | | | | | |kd|=
pd|pd| | | | |pd|pd|=
| |pd| | | | | |=
| | | | |ql| | |=
| | | | | | |pl|=
| |qd| | | | | |=
| |pl| | |pl|pl| |=
|kl| |rl| | | |rl|=
Position after 24. Qxf5.In the game between Peter Leko and Vladimir Kramnik at the 2008 Corus tournament, Black was able to obtain a draw because of perpetual check:

:24... Qb4+:25. Ka2 Qa4+:26. Kb2 Qb4+:27. Kc1 Qa3+:28. Kb1 ½–½

Fischer-Tal

Chess diagram|=
tright
Fischer-Tal, Leipzig, 1960
=
| |kd| | | | | |=
pd|pd| | |nd| | |ql|=
| | | |qd| | | |=
pl| | |pd| | | | |=
| | | | | | | |=
pl| |pd| | | | | |=
| |pl| | |pl|kl|pl|=
| | | | |rl| | |=
Position after 21. Kh1xg2.

A perpetual check saved a draw for Mikhail Tal against Bobby Fischer in this 1960 game, played in the 14th Chess Olympiad, while Tal was the World Champion. Now Black played 21... Qg4+ and the game was drawn Harvcol|Evans|1970|p=53. (After 22. Kh1 then 22... Qf3+ 23. Kg1 Qg4+ forces perpetual check.)

History

Chess diagram|=
tright
N.N.-Unknown
=8 |rd| |bd| | | | | |=7 |pd|pd|pd| | |bl|pd|kd|=6 | | | |pd| | |nl|pd|=5 | | | | |pd| | | |=4 | | | | |pl| | |qd|=3 | | | |pl| |nd| |pl|=2 |pl|pl|pl| | |bd|pl| |=1 |rl| |bl| | | | |kl|= a b c d e f g h
Final position

The "Oxford Encyclopedia of Chess Games, Volume 1 (1485-1866)" includes all recorded games played up to 1800 Harvcol|Levy|O'Connell|1981|p=ix. The earliest example of perpetual check contained in it is a game played by two unknown players in 1750: N.N.-Unknown, 1750 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.0-0 (the rules of castling not yet having been standardized in their current form, White moved his king to h1 and his rook to f1) Nf6 5.Nc3 Ng4 6.d3 0-0 (Black moved his king to h8 and his rook to f8) 7.Ng5 d6 8.h3 h6 9.Nxf7+ Rxf7 10.Bxf7 Qh4 11.Qf3 Nxf2+ 12.Rxf2 Bxf2 13.Nd5 Nd4 14.Ne7 Nxf3 15.Ng6+ Kh7 ½-½ in light of 16.Nf8+ Kh8 17.Ng6+ etc. Harvcol|Levy|O'Connell|1981|p=9 The next examples of perpetual check in the book are two games, both ending in perpetual check, played in 1788 between Bowdler and Philidor, with Philidor giving odds of pawn and move Harvcol|Levy|O'Connell|1981|p=12.

A draw by perpetual check used to be in the rules of chess Harvcol|Reinfeld|1954|p=175. Howard Staunton gave it as one of six ways to draw a game in "The Chess-Player's Handbook" harvcol|Staunton|1847|p=21–22. It has since been removed since perpetual check will eventually allow a draw claim by either threefold repetition or the fifty move rule. If a player demonstrates intent to perform perpetual check, the players usually agree to a draw harvcol|Hooper|Whyld|1992|.

ee also

*Rules of chess
*Desperado
*Stalemate

References

*citation
last=Burgess |first=Graham |authorlink = Graham Burgess
title=The Mammoth Book of Chess
publisher=Carroll & Graf
year=2000
edition = 2nd
id=ISBN 978-0-7867-0725-6

* Citation
surname1=Evans|given1=Larry|authorlink1=Larry Evans
title=Modern Chess Brilliancies
year=1970
publisher=Fireside
ID=ISBN 0-671-22420-4
* Citation
surname1=Hooper|given1=David|authorlink1=David Vincent Hooper
surname2=Whyld|given2=Kenneth|authorlink2=Kenneth Whyld
title=The Oxford Companion to Chess
year=1992
edition=second
publisher=Oxford University Press
ID=ISBN 0-19-866164-9
* Citation
surname1=Levy|given1=David|authorlink1=David Levy
surname2=O'Connell|given2=Kevin|authorlink2=
title=Oxford Encyclopedia of Chess Games, Volume 1 (1485-1866)
year=1981
edition=
publisher=Oxford University Press
ID=ISBN 0-19-217571-8
* Citation
surname1=Reinfeld|given1=Fred|authorlink1=Fred Reinfeld
title=How To Be A Winner At Chess
year=1954
publisher=Fawcett
ID=ISBN 0-449-91206-X
*citation
last=Speelman|first=Jon|authorlink=Jon Speelman
year=1981
title=Endgame Preparation
publisher=Batsford
id=ISBN 0-7134-4000-7
* citation
surname1=Staunton | given1=Howard | authorlink1=Howard Staunton
year=1847
title=The Chess-Player's Handbook
location=London | publisher=H. G. Bohn
pages=21–22 (1985 Batsford reprint, ISBN 1-85958-005-X)

External links

* [http://www.chessvariants.com/d.chess/eternal.html Diagram demonstrating a perpetual check]


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем сделать НИР

Look at other dictionaries:

  • perpetual check — noun Date: circa 1909 an endless succession of checks to which an opponent s king may be subjected to force a draw in chess …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • perpetual check — Chess. 1. a continuing series of checks resulting in a drawn game because they cannot be halted or evaded without resulting in checkmate or a serious disadvantage. 2. the situation in which this occurs. [1810 20] * * * …   Universalium

  • perpetual check — noun Chess the situation of play when a draw is obtained by repeated checking of the king …   English new terms dictionary

  • perpetual check — noun : an endless succession of checks to which the opponent s king in chess may sometimes be subjected to force a draw; also : a situation involving such an attack …   Useful english dictionary

  • check — I n. order to a bank (BE has cheque) 1) to issue, make out, write out a check to 2) to draw a check against one s account; to draw a check on a bank 3) to cash; clear; deposit; present a check 4) to cover a check (by making a deposit) 5) to… …   Combinatory dictionary

  • Check (chess) — a b c d e f g h …   Wikipedia

  • perpetual — adj. 1 eternal; lasting for ever or indefinitely. 2 continuous, uninterrupted. 3 colloq. frequent, much repeated (perpetual interruptions). 4 permanent during life (perpetual secretary). Phrases and idioms: perpetual calendar a calendar which can …   Useful english dictionary

  • 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… …   Wikipedia

  • Swindle (chess) — In chess, a swindle is a ruse by which a player in a losing position tricks his opponent, and thereby achieves a win or draw instead of the expected loss.[1][2][3][4][5] It may also refer more generally to obtaining a win or draw from a clearly… …   Wikipedia

  • Xiangqi — Chinese chess redirects here. For other uses, see Chinese chess (disambiguation). Xiangqi Xiangqi board with pieces in their starting positions Genre(s) Board game Players 2 …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”