Giving mate is the ultimate goal of every chess player. Finding that all-decisive combination is immensely satisfying. But how are you supposed to spot a checkmate when you are sitting at the board with the clock ticking?

In this guide International Master Vladimir Barsky teaches the method created by his mentor Viktor Khenkin (1923-2010). It’s based on an ingenious classification of the most frequently occurring mating schemes. A wide range of chess players will find it an extremely useful tool to recognize mating patterns and calculate the often narrow path to the kill.

All the 1,000 examples (850 of them in exercise format) that Barsky presents are from games played in 21^st century. He has carefully selected the most instructive combinations and lucidly explains the typical techniques to corner your opponent’s king. More often than you would expect, positions that look innocent at first sight, turn out to contain a mating pattern.

This is not just another book full of chess puzzles. It’s a brilliantly organized course that has proven to be effective. Finding mate isn’t rocket science, but you need to know what to look for. Vladimir Barsky teaches you exactly that.

Vladimir Barsky (1969) is an International Master, an experienced chess coach and a well-known journalist and author. He lives in Moscow.

Editorial reviews of A Modern Guide to Checkmating Patterns:

“Essential reading for every chess player that aspires to improve. A really important book, set out very clearly, extremely well organized. These mating patterns are just vital, you need to be able to spot them quickly.”
GM Daniel King

“Vladimir Barsky explores 1000 positions. He does that instructively by starting at the basis, the bare model, and then adding more pieces. The structure is: an introduction explaining the pattern, some practical examples and then lots of exercises. An instructive book.”
IM Hans Bohm, De Telegraaf

“I like it that Barsky has made the effort to select games where the answer is not obvious, so it is not always the outrageous queen sacrifice that leads to checkmate. Each chapter has a discussion on mating patterns with titles such as Rook and Bishop, Queen and Knight and The Queen it is all very straightforward. The modern examples mean that there are lots familiar names compared to the popular but old Fred Reinfeld books. Another difference compared to the old puzzle classics is that these examples have been computer checked to make sure there is only one solution. A fun way to instantly improve.”
IM Gary Lane, English Chess Federation Newsletter

“A perfect book for those rated below 2400 who are looking to improve their abilities in this essential skill. Russian International Master Vladimir Barsky has written a first-rate guide organized around ten chapters, each dealing with different piece configurations (queen, rook and knight, rook and bishop, etc.) and how they can deliver checkmate.”
IM John Donaldson

“All serious chess players should have at least one book concerning checkmating patterns in their library. This book is an excellent example of the genre. The author knows exactly what he’s doing and why he’s doing it: something that can’t be said for the majority of instructional chess books. Furthermore, most of the examples will be unfamiliar to most readers. This is ‘novice’ rather than ‘expert’ tuition in that it trains specific skills and provides hints to help you solve the puzzles, but at the same time it’s not a book for beginners. If you’re rated anywhere between about 1250 and 2000 and want to improve your attacking skills you’ll find this book invaluable. In addition, it provides useful coaching materials for anyone teaching students at this level. Stronger players might also want to use it as a refresher course.”
Richard James, British Chess News