Powerplay 1 - Mating Patterns, aims to acquaint the viewer with some of the most common mating patterns through analysis of positions in games where those patterns actually occurred. As GM King indicates early in the DVD, Recognizing the early outlines of mating patterns is a vital skill, both offensively and defensively.Very often we see the see these checkmates when they are put before our eyes: on a puzzle page in a chess magazine, for example. But then we must ask ourselves, why do these kind of mating combinations occur time and again in games - at all levels? In an actual game, when we are distracted by other factors - positional, strategic, tactical and psychological, not to mention our old friend time pressure - it is all too easy to miss these mating combinations. No one stands behind us whispering 'Stop! It is mate in 3' (unless you are cheating and someone has flicked on Fritz.) Moreover, these critical moments often occur late in the game - generally near the time control. Therefore it is vital that we are able to recognize these patterns - quickly! There is no excuse: now is the time to revise and rehearse those mating patterns.Author: Grandmaster Daniel King has been a professional chess player for more than 20 years. During that time he has represented his country on many occasions, including an historic match victory over the Soviet Union in Reykjavik, 1990. At the same time he has distinguished himself as a coach, helping many of England's younger generation to achieve their potential. Besides his chess career, he has built up a reputation as a commentator on television, radio, and the internet. He is also an award-winning author of more than 15 books.System requirements: Pentium-processor at 300 Mhz or higher, 64 MB RAM, WIndows 98 SE, Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Media Player 9.0, DVD drive
