Turton doubling

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article uses algebraic notation to describe chess moves.
Henry Turton (version)
Illustrated London News, 1856
Image:chess_zhor_26.png
Image:chess_zver_26.png
a8 b8 c8 d8 e8 f8 g8 h8
a7 b7 c7 d7 e7 f7 g7 h7
a6 b6 c6 d6 e6 f6 g6 h6
a5 b5 c5 d5 e5 f5 g5 h5
a4 b4 c4 d4 e4 f4 g4 h4
a3 b3 c3 d3 e3 f3 g3 h3
a2 b2 c2 d2 e2 f2 g2 h2
a1 b1 c1 d1 e1 f1 g1 h1
Image:chess_zver_26.png
Image:chess_zhor_26.png
Mate in three.

Turton doubling is a manoeuvre in chess in which a piece moves along a line (rank, file or diagonal), then a similarly-moving piece moves onto the same line in front of it, then this second piece moves again along this line, in the opposite direction to that of the first. Use of the term is effectively limited to the field of chess problems.

The idea can be understood in reference to the problem to the right, the first demonstrate the manoeuvre, composed by its eponym, Henry Turton. A mate in three, the solution is 1.Bh8 (threatening 2.Qa3#) 1...b4 2.Qg7 Ra8 (defending against 3.Qa7#) 3.Qxb2#. The bishop moves along the diagonal a1-h8, then the queen moves onto that same diagonal, then the queen moves again in the opposite direction to the bishop.

Specific types of Turton doubling are the Loyd-Turton, in which the first piece moved is of greater value than the second; and the Brunner-Turton, in which the two pieces are of equal value. Cases such as Turton's original, in which the piece moved first is of lesser value than the second, have no special name.

Turton doubling can be contrasted with another form of doubling, Zepler doubling.