Answers.Body: <p>One of the most famous chess games ever. Both sides have back rank mates!</p>
  
  <p><strong>29...Qb2!!</strong> (0-1) wins the game for Black by back-rank mate</p>
  
  <blockquote>
    <p><a href="http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1261680" rel="nofollow noreferrer">http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1261680</a></p>
  </blockquote>
  
  <p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/H0CjD.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/H0CjD.png" alt="enter image description here"></a></p>
  
  <ul>
  <li>None of the king-side pawns move</li>
  <li>Both kings are behind the pawns and have no escape square</li>
  <li>There are open-files on the board</li>
  <li>Both side has a rook and a queen exploring the open files</li>
  <li>No white rook on the back rank defending (the white rook is on the third rank)</li>
  <li>The white queen is the only piece guarding the f1 square </li>
  </ul>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2017-04-12T11:58:12.853Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2017-04-12T12:04:59.620Z
Answers.LastEditDate: 2017-04-12T12:04:59.620Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: SmallChess
Answers.Body: <p>The main hallmark of a weak back rank is that your king is hemmed in by pawns, pieces, or squares controlled by your opponent so that it can only move sideways. It may also have insufficient defenders (rooks or queen) or defenders may be blocked from defending the king by other pieces.</p>
  
  <p>But the back rank is nearly always weak - what you need to watch out for is opportunities your opponent has to exploit that weakness. For example, their rook is on an open file or a file that can be opened by a tactical maneuver or sacrifice. A weak back rank can really only be exploited by your opponent's rooks or queen, so keep an eye on them, and on the availability of escape squares for your king. You basically never want those guys on your back rank if you can help it.</p>
  
  <p>Yet it can also be a mistake to waste a tempo you could have used for attack to prevent a potential back rank threat that may never come, or to weaken your pawn structure in front of the king just to give him an escape square. This is why back rank threats remain such a common motif.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2017-04-14T13:54:44.337Z
Answers.Text: I'd say bishops and knights can also be defenders of a back rank. For one, they may control potential squares where enemy rooks or queens may be able to attack. Also, if they can interpose themselves safely between an attacking rook or queen, they're defenders. For example, think of the black knight on g6, where the black king is on g8 and castled kingside. The black knight can block on f8, and it will be defended by the king.
Answers.UserDisplayName: progner
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2017-04-13T13:34:28.887Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2017-04-13T14:17:32.703Z
Answers.LastEditDate: 2017-04-13T14:17:32.703Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: David Mold
Body: <p>In the search for answers beyond immediately threatening back rank mates. How early is it possible to spot that you'll have problems down the aisle, from a strategic perspective? What are the defining characteristics of this position?</p>
  
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2017-04-12T16:11:19.857Z
Comments.Text: From a "strategic perspective", checkmate is tactics. There is no general answer to your question, the only legit advice is "calculate!"
Comments.UserDisplayName: Queeg
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2017-04-12T16:12:42.067Z
Comments.Text: I would think there is, actually. @SmallChess gave me some ideas, such as loose, hanging or underdefended pieces defending the back rank; a king with no or denied luft, open files with opposing rooks/queens exploring them, etc.
Comments.UserDisplayName: progner
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2017-04-12T16:18:21.310Z
Comments.Text: Bad_Bisfop posted a different position and came up with a different set of characteristics. Deductive reasoning based on singular examples simply doesn't work in chess.
Comments.UserDisplayName: Queeg
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2017-04-12T16:54:11.413Z
Comments.Text: You mean inductive reasoning. And although it isn't as good as deductive reasoning, derivation of general principles from specific examples is the only way to create general principles based on reality.
Comments.UserDisplayName: progner
Tags: <strategy>
Title: What are the symptoms of a weak back rank?
ThreadText: # What are the symptoms of a weak back rank?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2017-04-12)
  
  In the search for answers beyond immediately threatening back rank mates. How early is it possible to spot that you'll have problems down the aisle, from a strategic perspective? What are the defining characteristics of this position?
  
  **Tags:** strategy
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_1**: From a "strategic perspective", checkmate is tactics. There is no general answer to your question, the only legit advice is "calculate!"  
  > **username_0**: I would think there is, actually. @username_2 gave me some ideas, such as loose, hanging or underdefended pieces defending the back rank; a king with no or denied luft, open files with opposing rooks/queens exploring them, etc.  
  > **username_1**: Bad_Bisfop posted a different position and came up with a different set of characteristics. Deductive reasoning based on singular examples simply doesn't work in chess.  
  > **username_0**: You mean inductive reasoning. And although it isn't as good as deductive reasoning, derivation of general principles from specific examples is the only way to create general principles based on reality.  
  
  ---
  
  ## 2 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_2 on 2017-04-12. Score: 3
  
  One of the most famous chess games ever. Both sides have back rank mates!
  
  **29...Qb2!!** (0-1) wins the game for Black by back-rank mate
  
  > <http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1261680>
  
  [![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/H0CjD.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/H0CjD.png)
  
  * None of the king-side pawns move
  * Both kings are behind the pawns and have no escape square
  * There are open-files on the board
  * Both side has a rook and a queen exploring the open files
  * No white rook on the back rank defending (the white rook is on the third rank)
  * The white queen is the only piece guarding the f1 square
  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_3 on 2017-04-13. Score: 2
  
  The main hallmark of a weak back rank is that your king is hemmed in by pawns, pieces, or squares controlled by your opponent so that it can only move sideways. It may also have insufficient defenders (rooks or queen) or defenders may be blocked from defending the king by other pieces.
  
  But the back rank is nearly always weak - what you need to watch out for is opportunities your opponent has to exploit that weakness. For example, their rook is on an open file or a file that can be opened by a tactical maneuver or sacrifice. A weak back rank can really only be exploited by your opponent's rooks or queen, so keep an eye on them, and on the availability of escape squares for your king. You basically never want those guys on your back rank if you can help it.
  
  Yet it can also be a mistake to waste a tempo you could have used for attack to prevent a potential back rank threat that may never come, or to weaken your pawn structure in front of the king just to give him an escape square. This is why back rank threats remain such a common motif.
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_0**: I'd say bishops and knights can also be defenders of a back rank. For one, they may control potential squares where enemy rooks or queens may be able to attack. Also, if they can interpose themselves safely between an attacking rook or queen, they're defenders. For example, think of the black knight on g6, where the black king is on g8 and castled kingside. The black knight can block on f8, and it will be defended by the king.  
  
  ---
  
  