11 
[Event ""]
[Site "https://www.apronus.com/chess/wbeditor.php"]
[SetUp "1"]
[FEN "6rk/p5p1/1q2Q3/3p4/6P1/8/2b2PK1/4R3 w - - 0 1"]

I'm fairly new to anything more than the basics of chess and I'm currently working through Bobby Fischer Teaches Chess. I came across this on page 96 (frame 73) in which he asks whether white can mate in one move. I was convinced the white rook could move to H1 to mate. However his answer was "white cannot mate". Why is this the case?

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  • A defense like that can be easy to miss. This question reminded be of a situation from this John Bartholomew game: youtu.be/Vps01Jj637Y?t=5943
    – Akavall
    May 6, 2021 at 19:57
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    For the record, the fact that you miss the solution is exactly the kind of thing he is trying to teach you with this lesson!
    – corsiKa
    May 7, 2021 at 17:41
  • White can force a draw, possibly even a losing mistake from black. Since white has a material deficit in this game, that wouldn't be a bad outcome.
    – jwdonahue
    May 7, 2021 at 22:07
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    Did you try it in a computer chess program? Computers can answer this kind of question for you, e.g. by showing you black's available moves after white plays rook to H1, or if you set up an AI opponent, by just playing a move (the only one possible.) There are multiple free chess programs that could do this for you, and presumably some websites. A chess engine could even analyze the position and rate possible moves.
    – Peter Cordes
    May 9, 2021 at 14:24

1 Answer 1

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The bishop on c2 can be moved to h7 to block the check.

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