Part 2: Four Basic Endgame Checkmate Patterns for Students!
by John Bain
“If you want to be great at chess begin at the ending!”
"For a student to understand and progress in all stages of the game--the Opening, the Middle Game and the Endgame--the student must first know how to end the game in checkmate!" -John Bain, author of Checkmate! Ideas For Students
With several practice sessions, given any one of these Basic Endgame Checkmate Patterns below and 60-seconds on a chess clock, students should easily master and demonstrate the checkmate pattern--as quickly and as well as they can spell their names!
Why the Four Checkmate Endgame Patterns are so important for a student to master? The patterns contain certain knowledge that give students skills and confidence, which transfer to the whole game, enhancing all future learning; i.e., a waiting move--or “tempo” move; pawn majorities; moving the King to the center in the endgame; creating passed pawns and promoting passed pawns to Queens and so forth.
The Four Checkmate Patterns are simple and essential for the parent, teacher or coach to master and to teach them to the students. Practice!
In the First Checkmate Pattern below, the student plays the white pieces--with the white King on e1 & two Rooks on a1 and h1 versus the lone black King on e4. The Assignment: White quickly checkmates the black King on the 8th rank, using only the two Rooks.

Checkmate Pattern 1: King and 2 Rooks versus the lone King checkmate. To begin, the white King is on e1 & with two Rooks on a1 and h1 versus the lone black King on e4.
In the Second Checkmate Pattern below, the student plays the white pieces--the white King & 1 Queen versus the lone black King. The Assignment: White quickly checkmates the black King on the 8th rank, using the Queen & King.

Checkmate Pattern 2: The King and Queen versus the lone King checkmate. To begin, the white King is on e1 & with the Queen on d1 versus the lone black King on e4.
In the Third Checkmate Pattern below, the student plays the white pieces--the white King & one Rook versus the lone black King. The Assignment: White quickly checkmates the black King on the 8th rank, using one Rook & the King. Here in this pattern, the players will learn to use the waiting move--or “tempo” move.

Checkmate Pattern 3: The King and one Rook versus the lone King checkmate. To begin, the white King is on e1 & with Rooks on h1 versus the lone black King on e4.
In the Fourth Checkmate Pattern below, the student plays the white pieces--the white King & six Pawns versus the black King & four Pawns. The Assignment: White quickly 1) centers the King; 2) creates passed pawns on King-side & Queen-side of the board; 3) promotes a passed pawn to a Queen; and 4) quickly checkmates the black King with a new Queen and the King.

Checkmate Pattern 4: The white King and 6 Pawns versus the black King and 4 Pawns checkmate. To begin, the white King is on e1 & with Pawns on a2, b2, c2, f2, g2 and h2 versus the black King on e8 with Pawns on a7, b7, g7 and h7.