Checkmates

Introduction Checkmates are an essential part of the game of Chess, being the objective of the game. Checkmate is when you are checking the opponent's king and there are no legal moves to get out of the check. Some mating patterns are named. There are 36 named mating patterns in Chess and a handful of well-known early opening checkmates. Named mating patterns There are 36 recognized named mating patterns in Chess. Back rank mate The back rank mate is when the opponent's king is on its home rank and is being checkmated on that home rank by an opponent's queen or rook, while its escape squares are blocked by pawns or other pieces. Epaulette mate The epaulette mate is when the opponent's king is on ranks 1 or 8 and is checkmated, its escape squares cut off by its own pieces, usually rooks. This checkmate is usually performed by the queen, checking the opponent's king orthogonally while cutting off diagonal escape squares. Swallowtail mate The swallowtail mate is when the opponent's king is not on the edge (a or h-files or ranks 1 and 8) and is checkmated, usually by a queen orthogonally adjacent to the king, its escape squares diagonally blocked by its own pieces. Kill box mate The kill box mate is when the opponent's king is on the edge checkmated by a rook and defended by a queen, forming a box around the king where the queen and rook control every escape square that the opponent's king could've moved to. Cozio's mate The Cozio's mate is when the opponent's king is checkmated, usually by a queen diagonally adjacent to it, its orthogonal escape squares blocked by its own pieces. This checkmate is named after Carlos Cozio and is also known as dovetail mate. Triangle mate The triangle mate is when the opponent's king is on the edge of the board and is checkmated by a queen,

Introduction

Checkmates are an essential part of the game of Chess, being the objective of the game. Checkmate is when you are checking the opponent's king and there are no legal moves to get out of the check. Some mating patterns are named. There are 36 named mating patterns in Chess and a handful of well-known early opening checkmates.

Named mating patterns

There are 36 recognized named mating patterns in Chess.

Back rank mate

The back rank mate is when the opponent's king is on its home rank and is being checkmated on that home rank by an opponent's queen or rook, while its escape squares are blocked by pawns or other pieces.

Epaulette mate

The epaulette mate is when the opponent's king is on ranks 1 or 8 and is checkmated, its escape squares cut off by its own pieces, usually rooks. This checkmate is usually performed by the queen, checking the opponent's king orthogonally while cutting off diagonal escape squares.

Swallowtail mate

The swallowtail mate is when the opponent's king is not on the edge (a or h-files or ranks 1 and 8) and is checkmated, usually by a queen orthogonally adjacent to the king, its escape squares diagonally blocked by its own pieces.

Kill box mate

The kill box mate is when the opponent's king is on the edge checkmated by a rook and defended by a queen, forming a box around the king where the queen and rook control every escape square that the opponent's king could've moved to.

Cozio's mate

The Cozio's mate is when the opponent's king is checkmated, usually by a queen diagonally adjacent to it, its orthogonal escape squares blocked by its own pieces. This checkmate is named after Carlos Cozio and is also known as dovetail mate.

Triangle mate

The triangle mate is when the opponent's king is on the edge of the board and is checkmated by a queen, while a rook defends the queen and cuts off the remaining escape square. The checkmate looks like a triangle between the queen, rook and opponent's king, thus the name.

Max Lange mate

The Max Lange mate is when the opponent's king is checkmated by a queen, defended by a bishop which also controls an important potential flight square for the opponent's king. This checkmate is named after German chess player Max Lange.

Balestra mate

The Balestra mate is when the opponent's king is on one of the edge ranks (ranks 1 and 8) and is being checkmated by a bishop, while a queen controls most of the king's escape squares. The final position looks similar to a pair of scissors.

Bucking Bronco mate

The Bucking Bronco mate is when the opponent's king is in the corner of the board and checkmate is delivered by a knight while a queen covers the escape squares that the opponent's king could potentially move to.

Sneaky Stallion mate

The Sneaky Stallion mate is similar to the Bucking Bronco mate, but instead of the opponent's king being in the corner, it is on the edge of the board. The opponent's king is checkmated by a knight while the queen covers escape squares and the last escape square is blocked by its own piece.

Damiano's mate

The Damiano's mate is when the opponent's king is checkmated by a queen, defended by a friendly piece. The king's potential escape squares are either controlled or blocked. This checkmate is named after Portuguese chess player Pedro Damiano.

Lolli's mate

The Lolli's mate is when the opponent's king on the edge is checkmated by a queen orthogonally adjacent while being defended by a friendly pawn. This checkmate is named after Italian chess player Giambattista Lolli.

Blind swine mate

The blind swine mate is when the opponent's king is on their home rank and is checkmated by a rook on the 7th rank defended by another rook on the 7th rank which also controls a key flight square while the last square for the opponent's king is occupied by a piece.