Puzzle of the Week: The Two-Rook Ladder
Find the only first move that forces the same ladder-mate finish against both king replies.
Find the only first move that forces the same ladder-mate finish against both king replies.
The two rooks already control different ranks, but neither can finish alone. The key is to turn them into parallel walls: one rook cuts off the g-file while the other prepares to check down the h-file.
1. Rg8+ is the only move that preserves a forced mate in two. It checks the king along the g-file and leaves the rook on f7 free to build the final wall.
Black has two legal replies, 1...Kh1 and 1...Kh2. The principal line uses 1...Kh1, but neither choice changes White's finish.
After either king move, 2. Rh7# checks down the h-file. The rook on g8 controls every return to the g-file, so the king cannot capture, block, or escape.
In a ladder mate, ask which heavy piece should make the first wall and which one must stay mobile for the final check. Moving the wrong rook can destroy the coordination.
It checks while preserving the rook on f7 for Rh7#. Other rook moves either fail to force the king or block the coordinated ladder finish.
No. Both squares remain on the h-file, so Rh7# checks the king while the rook on g8 covers every escape back to the g-file.
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