Checkmate with two rooks

Checkmate with two rooks (or sometimes a rook and a queen) is a common theme. Beginners should master the basic mates and this is one of the most basic. Start with just two rooks anywhere on the board and the opponent's King. Use a technique often called the ladder.
A rook creates a "fence" that the enemy king cannot get past. In the diagram on the left, the Black King cannot move up the board because of the rook on a5 which creates an impassable "fence" on the 5th rank. We'll use the other rook to create a fence on the 4th rank. Then we'll alternate rooks going down one rank at a time like climbing down a ladder.
1. Rb4+ Kd3
2. Ra3+ Kc2

Now we can't play Rb2 as we planned, so we'll have to find a safer place for that rook. Let's just go over to the other end of the board where we're save from the king.

3. Rh4 Kb2
4. Rg3! (not h3 which would block our other rook)
Kc2
5. Rh2+ Kd1
6.Rg1 checkmate!








Of course not every game ends so easily. Let's use the same theme to threaten mate and win. In the final diagram, can you find the winning sequence of moves for White?


















Answer to last problem:
1. Rb1+ Rd1
2. Rh1+ Rf1
3. Rxf1+ Kxf1
4. Rxd1 (White now has an easy win.)