Checkmate with rook and king

I was playing a game once where my opponent was going to mate with king and rook here's the game

The Chess memtor thinks that's the best and fastest was to mate, but this is how I do it

But if this is the correct way to do it, why does the chess mentor promote the horribly time consuming first method? Or am I wrong in the diagrams? Comment below plese

On move 14 what happens if you move your king to f8 instead? A stalemate. The above method always works and there is not an escape. It is also harder to stelmate. This is probably why it is most correct. 

First method is easy pattern, it's very easy to remember

I beleive in efficiency. And if the person doing my prefered method, is anywhat smart, they wouldn't stalemate. And i think that my pattern is easy patter as well as above just takes fewere moves

I don't think the efficiency really matters for a beginner as long as you can give the mate under 50 moves without a fail. Whichever method one finds easiest to understand should be preferred.

Black defends very badly in your second example. He could prolong the resistance at several points. However, I think you could also improve your efficiency. For example the position after 8... Kg8 is a mate in two.

You don't need to say I am a begginer. I could have played thousands of OTB games couldn't I have? Also, who says I haven't on other chess wesites, like ICC? That is a very iggnorant statement.

Well, I kind of assumed that you are (a relative) beginner based on the fact that non beginners usually aren't that interested about analysing king+rook vs. king but I also doubt that someone who has played over 1000 tournament games would find a neater way to mate in your second example. I'm sorry if I was wrong though. It was not my intention to hurt your feelings.

Oh no worries. Though I say, I consider myself expeirenced - to a degree. And I say that I can be a GM and still look for a less time consuming way to get the # with rook and king

Shakaali wrote:

I don't think the efficiency really matters for a beginner as long as you can give the mate under 50 moves without a fail. Whichever method one finds easiest to understand should be preferred.

Black defends very badly in your second example. He could prolong the resistance at several points. However, I think you could also improve your efficiency. For example the position after 8... Kg8 is a mate in two.

Could you show us this mate in two, I can't find it.

That's because I can't count. 9. Kg6 Kf8 10. Re1 leads to a mate in three. My point still stands - this is very standard and much easier than what happened.

The method in the first diagram is the correct concept, BUT the execution is completely wrong because the person forgot that it is possible to deliver checkmate vertically! It is also possible to make the king go back to the top since the king is closer to the top to start. The concept is just to keep the black king on the edges so a checkmate is possible.

For example after 2..Kh4 black's king is on the edge of board vertically and white should immediately switch to a vertical checkmate.

I leave this as a puzzle:

I agree. This checkmate can be forced in 16 moves or less from any position. It should never take more than 25 for a relative beginner learning how to do it. A solution longer than that should be rejected.