
Back rank Tactics you didn't see coming!
The back rank is never truly safe.The back rank is supposed to be a safe haven where kings hides, but just how safe is it when that’s where the kings is always checkmated? This is the reason we play (sometimes unnecessary and weakening) moves like h3/h6 at our earliest convenience (and for some an automatic move in blitz) to give our king a little luft.
And yet, there are tactics involving the back rank that we just didn’t see coming. Welcome to the world of sneaky back rank tactics! These aren’t your standard checkmates where the king is hopelessly boxed in by its own pawns. Even when the rank looks completely secure with heavy pieces protecting, it seems the back rank never is truly safe. Here are 4 tactics from games I stumbled upon where the back rank seemed safe—until it wasn’t.
Position 1: Black to move. White is up material and has a double attack. The back rank is covered by their rook. Is there something in the position?
Sometimes, a back rank tactic appears like a bolt of lightning out of a clear sky. White had a rook defending and c1 was even double protected. Its easy for us to not even look for a move like Bc1 (see my article on hidden moves), but it does seem like these tactics can truly appear out of nowhere.
Position 2: Black to move. White’s attack is breaking through and this time there are two rooks guarding the back rank. It does not seem like Blacks clumsy pieces threaten much, and yet:
Like a lightning.. you get the idea. Placing a piece into f1 just doesn’t seem like a move at all. By now it hopefully the motive is more clear. “Mined” squares that seem to be overprotected on the back rank can still be target, since they might lure or interfere with opponent defence and coordination. With this in mind, we know what to look for in the 3rd and 4th examples:
Position 3: White to move. Blacks king is very vulnerable but White must act fast before Black can consolidate.
This time, even with the Black Queen helping in the defence and d8 is again double protected, Rd8+ is still possible and completely disrupts Blacks coordination around the King’s defence. This is from actually a quite famous miniature (Kavalek v Khodos 1965). The final puzzle is tougher but is very thematic to this principle:
Position 4: White to move. White has a menacing attack but only one move wins.
Bf8 in this position is next level. White is simply freeing up the square for Nh6# and it is unstoppable. Black cannot defend against this without losing a lot of material. Note if White had moved Bh6 to anywhere else than f8, Black could hold the position with Bh8-g7.
Conclusion: Beware of the “mined” back rank squares
Looks can be deceiving. The back rank might be double or triple guarded, but the King is a very fragile piece. By exploiting weaknesses in the opponent’s coordination, even heavily defended squares on the back rank can become tactical goldmines. If there are some diagonals or files that can be utilised around the opponent king, a breakthrough is often one lightning strike away. Do look out for these. The back rank is never truly safe.
If you enjoyed this article and want to dive deeper into more chess insights, strategies, and tactical gems, check out my blog at chessinprogress.com for adult improvers. New articles every week!