I have defined a binary tree:

data Tree = Null | Node Tree Int Tree

and have implemented a function that'll yield the sum of the values of all its nodes:

sumOfValues :: Tree -> Int
sumOfValues Null = 0
sumOfValues (Node Null v Null) = v
sumOfValues (Node Null v t2) = v + (sumOfValues t2)
sumOfValues (Node t1 v Null) = v + (sumOfValues t1)
sumOfValues (Node t1 v t2) = v + (sumOfValues t1) + (sumOfValues t2)

It works as expected. I had the idea of also trying to implement it using guards:

sumOfValues2 :: Tree -> Int
sumOfValues2 Null = 0
sumOfValues2 (Node t1 v t2)
    | t1 == Null && t2 == Null  = v
    | t1 == Null            = v + (sumOfValues2 t2)
    |               t2 == Null  = v + (sumOfValues2 t1)
    |   otherwise       = v + (sumOfValues2 t1) + (sumOfValues2 t2)

but this one doesn't work because I haven't implemented Eq, I believe:

No instance for (Eq Tree)
  arising from a use of `==' at zzz3.hs:13:3-12
Possible fix: add an instance declaration for (Eq Tree)
In the first argument of `(&&)', namely `t1 == Null'
In the expression: t1 == Null && t2 == Null
In a stmt of a pattern guard for
             the definition of `sumOfValues2':
        t1 == Null && t2 == Null

The question that has to be made, then, is how can Haskell make pattern matching without knowing when a passed argument matches, without resorting to Eq?