Wilkes-Barre: The Nd4 Mate
Spot the mistake, then find the punishment
Starting positionWhite to move
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The temptation
12.Ke2 is the move that springs the trap. The king leaves the first rank, and e2 looks like an escape from the bishop's diagonal. White has already accepted several sacrifices and wants to keep the material.
Why it works
12...Nd4# checks e2 and completes the net. The bishop on h3 covers f1, e2 and d3; the queen on g3 covers e1, e3 and f2. White's own pieces occupy d1 and d2. Unlike the earlier rook-grab mate, this lesson follows a king that has already fled to f1 and then chooses the wrong response to ...Bh3+. The alternative 12.Rxh3 captures the checking bishop and avoids this immediate mate.
The wrong king flight completes the net
Nd4 checks e2. The h3 bishop and g3 queen seal the surrounding squares, and the king cannot capture or block a knight check.
How to avoid it
Answer 11...Bh3+ with 12.Rxh3 rather than Ke2. This keeps the king off the knight's checking square and removes a key attacker.
The opening behind it
Learn the sound version of this line and the trick stops being tempting.