Swallow's Tail Mate

In 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.

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Start

Pieces: Queen + pawn
Level: Intermediate
Mating side: White
Also known as: guéridon matı, swallow's tail mate, gueridon mate

Moves

1.Qe6#

1.Qe6 gives check, protected by the d5 pawn. The king's retreats to d8 and f8 are blocked by its rooks and the queen covers the rest: mate.

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How to recognise Swallow's Tail Mate

The queen stands right in front of the king and is protected.
The two diagonal squares behind the king are filled by its pieces (the swallow's tail).

How to defend

Don't block your king's rear diagonals with your own pieces.
Remove pieces that support the square in front of your king (like the d5 pawn).

Frequently asked questions

How is it different from the epaulette mate?

In the epaulette the king's sides are blocked and the queen checks from two squares away; here the rear diagonals are blocked and the queen is adjacent.

What does guéridon mean?

French for a small round table; the formation is likened to one.

Continue with lessons

Lesson 46: Common Mating Patterns

Similar checkmate patterns

Dovetail Mate — In 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.
Epaulette Mate — In the epaulette mate the king's own rooks stand on both sides, like the epaulettes on a soldier's shoulders.
Hook Mate — In the hook mate a rook mates from a square next to the king; a knight protects the rook and a pawn protects the knight.

← All checkmate tactics Next: Dovetail Mate →