Poisoned Lollipops

Poisoned Lollipops, an Early Halloween Special...by, Ms Jessica Martin (aka BoundingOwl)

There's a reason we don't let you dive into your Halloween candy without some inspection first.  It's very hard to eat candy when you are sick.  Always let your parents eat all of your candy to see if it's safe. 

Giambattista Lolli is not actually a lollipop.  He's not even really poisonous, and I have no idea if he celebrated Halloween, but I kind of doubt it.  He was born in 1698 which is way, WAY before you or I or your great great grandparents were alive.  Promise. 

 

Lolli did, however, figure out this really cool mate.  Here is his great plan:

 

 

 

Do you see how white could have gotten mate in one if the black rook weren't there?  Let's work backwards to see how he may have gotten to this position.  Black is in his happy castle, sleeping soundly and dreaming of carrots, when ... !!!  *knock knock* Checkmate on g7 please?

 

 

 

The queen sneaks her way in!  Oh and hey, how come the black pawn couldn't just capture the white one?  [It was pinned.]

If black got an extra turn, she or he could use his/her rook to help.  The rook would have to guard against the mate on g7.  But then you see how white can force a mate on the side file. 

Do not drink poison!  Everything under the sink is bad.  Don't even think about it, unless you want to clean the bathroom, which you probably don't. 

 

 

Follow through with the whole idea now.  All the way to mate! 

 

 

 

Click on SOLUTION and MOVE LIST to see an alternate checkmate on g7.  Next week we will learn more about poisonous candy.  For example, what if you had a knight, not a rook?  Where would the knight need to go for mate?

 

Have fun back in school and Happy Very Early Halloween!!