Checkmate Tactics

The 30 best-known checkmates in chess: opening traps, classic mating patterns and basic endgame mates. Watch each one move by move, then try it yourself.

Knowing mating patterns by name lets you see mates without calculating. When you spot a familiar formation around the enemy king, you instantly know which piece goes where. Recognising the same patterns is also the best way to keep your own king out of them.

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Opening traps and famous games

BeginnerFool's MateFool's mate is the shortest checkmate in chess: White weakens the king with the f- and g-pawns and Black's queen mates from h4 in two moves.
BeginnerScholar's MateScholar's mate is a 4-move checkmate in which the queen and bishop attack f7 together.
IntermediateLégal's MateIn Légal's mate White deliberately gives up the queen; when Black takes it, the minor pieces mate the king.
IntermediateOpera MateThe Opera mate is a rook mating on the back rank, protected by a bishop.
AdvancedRéti's MateIn Réti's mate the king is hemmed in by its own pieces and mated by a bishop and rook.

Classic checkmate patterns

BeginnerBack-Rank MateIn a back-rank mate the king is trapped behind its own pawns and a rook or queen mates on the last rank.
IntermediateSmothered MateIn a smothered mate every square around the king is occupied by its own pieces and a single knight gives mate.
AdvancedPhilidor's LegacyPhilidor's legacy is sacrificing the queen on g8 to drag the rook there and then delivering a smothered mate with the knight.
IntermediateAnastasia's MateIn Anastasia's mate a knight covers the king's escape squares and a rook mates along the edge file.
BeginnerArabian MateThe Arabian mate is a rook and knight mating a king in the corner.
BeginnerEpaulette MateIn the epaulette mate the king's own rooks stand on both sides, like the epaulettes on a soldier's shoulders.
AdvancedBoden's MateIn Boden's mate two bishops on crossing diagonals mate a king that has castled long.
BeginnerDamiano's MateIn Damiano's mate the queen checks on h7, supported by a pawn on g6.
BeginnerLadder Mate (Two Rooks)In the ladder mate two rooks (or rook and queen) take turns giving check, push the king to the edge and mate it.
IntermediateLolli's MateIn Lolli's mate a pawn on f6 protects g7 and the queen mates there.
IntermediateGreco's MateIn Greco's mate a bishop covers g8 from afar while a queen or rook checks down the h-file and mates the cornered king.
AdvancedHook MateIn the hook mate a rook mates from a square next to the king; a knight protects the rook and a pawn protects the knight.
AdvancedBlackburne's MateIn Blackburne's mate one bishop covers g7 and h8 from the long diagonal, a knight supports the other bishop and it mates on h7.
IntermediateSwallow's Tail MateIn the swallow's tail mate the protected queen checks directly in front of the king, and the king's diagonal retreats are blocked by its own pieces.
IntermediateDovetail MateIn the dovetail mate the protected queen checks diagonally next to the king, and the one escape the queen doesn't cover is blocked by the king's own piece.
IntermediateMorphy's MateIn Morphy's mate a bishop checks the cornered king along the long diagonal while a rook cuts off the g-file; the king's own h7 pawn blocks the escape.
IntermediatePillsbury's MateIn Pillsbury's mate the rook checks along the g-file and a bishop covers h8 from the long diagonal.
IntermediateBlind Swine MateIn the blind swine mate two rooks doubled on the seventh rank protect each other in front of the king and mate it.
IntermediatePawn Mate (David and Goliath)Yes, a pawn can checkmate.
BeginnerCorner MateIn the corner mate a rook cuts off the g-file and a knight checks the cornered king.
IntermediateAnderssen's MateIn Anderssen's mate a rook checks on the back rank; it is protected by a pawn on g7, which in turn is protected by a bishop on the long diagonal.

Basic endgame checkmates

BeginnerQueen and King MateQueen and king versus king is the first endgame technique every player must know: the queen drives the king to the edge, your king approaches and the queen mates on the last rank.
BeginnerRook and King MateIn the rook and king mate the rook boxes in the enemy king and, when the kings stand face to face, checks along the edge for mate.
IntermediateTwo Bishops MateTwo bishops side by side build a wall on adjacent diagonals and, with the king's help, drive the enemy king into a corner.
AdvancedBishop and Knight MateThe bishop and knight mate is the hardest basic mate: the enemy king must be driven to a corner of the bishop's colour, where the bishop gives the final check.

Frequently asked questions

How many kinds of checkmate are there?

Checkmate itself is one thing: the king is attacked and cannot escape. But recurring piece formations have names; this page covers the 30 best-known patterns.

What is the fastest checkmate?

Fool's mate: 1.f3 e5 2.g4 Qh4#. Finished in two moves, it is the shortest checkmate in chess.

Which mates should beginners learn first?

First learn to stop scholar's mate, the back-rank mate and the queen and rook mates; then move on to patterns like the smothered, Arabian and Anastasia's mates.