Treasury of mating patterns · Rook, knight, bishop
Blackburne’s mate
Two bishops and a knight: one bishop mates, the knight protects it, the other holds the long diagonal.
The mating move
♗h7#
All mating patterns
From a game
1620
Greco’s miniature
After the queen sacrifice the bishop mates via f7 – the king’s own pieces take every other square
See the pattern →
1750
Légal’s mate
Knight and bishop, after the queen bait
See the pattern →
1851
Minor-piece mate
Three small pieces against the whole black army
See the pattern →
1852
The Evergreen mate
The bishop takes on e7 with check, protected by the pawn on f6 – the second bishop takes e8 from the king
See the pattern →
1858
Opera mate
Rook on the back rank, bishop covers
See the pattern →
1910
Réti’s mate
Double check, then the bishop
See the pattern →
1912
King hunt
The king is driven all the way to g1
See the pattern →
1956
Fischer’s net
Rook, bishop and knight surround the king
See the pattern →
Very common
Very common
Back-rank mate
The king is stuck behind its own pawns.
See the pattern →
Very common
Smothered mate
The knight mates, the king’s own pieces block every escape.
See the pattern →
Very common
Kiss of death
The queen stands right in front of the king and is protected – here by the white king.
See the pattern →
Very common
Corridor mate
The king is shut in on one file, its own pawns block the side.
See the pattern →
Very common
Epaulette mate
The king’s own rooks sit beside it like epaulettes.
See the pattern →
Very common
Swallow’s tail mate
Like the epaulette mate, only diagonal: the king’s own rooks block the squares diagonally behind it.
See the pattern →
Rook, knight, bishop
Rook, knight, bishop
Arabian mate
Rook and knight, already known in the old Persian and Arabic manuscripts.
See the pattern →
Rook, knight, bishop
Anastasia’s mate
The knight blocks, the rook strikes along the edge.
See the pattern →
Rook, knight, bishop
Hook mate
Rook, knight and pawn: the rook gives check, protected by the knight, which the pawn protects.
See the pattern →
Rook, knight, bishop
Morphy’s mate
The bishop gives check on the long diagonal, the rook closes the file beside it.
See the pattern →
Rook, knight, bishop
Pillsbury’s mate
The rook gives check on the file, the bishop cuts the king off from the corner.
See the pattern →
Rook, knight, bishop
Boden’s mate
Two bishops cross in front of the long-castled king.
See the pattern →
Rook, knight, bishop
Blackburne’s mate
Two bishops and a knight: one bishop mates, the knight protects it, the other holds the long diagonal.
See the pattern →
Rook, knight, bishop
Anderssen’s mate
The rook mates on the edge, protected by a pawn, which the king protects.
See the pattern →
Named classics
Named classics
Damiano’s mate
The queen mates, protected by a pawn – the king is shut in by its own pieces.
See the pattern →
Named classics
Greco’s mate
The bishop closes the diagonal, the queen mates on the edge file – the king’s own pawn shuts it in.
See the pattern →
Named classics
Lolli’s mate
Pawn and queen break into the fianchetto: the queen mates, protected by the pawn.
See the pattern →
Named classics
Max Lange’s mate
The queen mates, protected by the bishop, which also holds an escape square.
See the pattern →
Named classics
Cozio’s mate
The queen mates diagonally beside the king, two of its own pieces block its escape.
See the pattern →
Named classics
Mayet’s mate
The rook mates on the back rank, protected by a bishop from afar.
See the pattern →
Named classics
Vuković’s mate
The rook mates, protected by the king, the knight holds the escape squares beside the king.
See the pattern →
Named classics
David and Goliath mate
A pawn mates the king – the smallest piece beats the greatest.
See the pattern →