Réti's Mate

In Réti's mate the king is hemmed in by its own pieces and mated by a bishop and rook. The famous example is Réti–Tartakower, Vienna 1910.

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Start
Pieces
Bishop + rook
Level
Advanced
Mating side
White
Also known as
reti tartakower, réti mate, vezir fedası

Moves

1.e4 c6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Nf6 5.Qd3 e5 6.dxe5 Qa5+ 7.Bd2 Qxe5 8.O-O-O Nxe4 9.Qd8+ Kxd8 10.Bg5+ Kc7 11.Bd8#

Black wins material but the king stays in the centre. 9.Qd8+ is a queen sacrifice: 9...Kxd8 10.Bg5+ (double check) Kc7 11.Bd8#. Most escape squares are blocked by Black's own pieces (b7, b8, c8, c6) and the rook holds the d-file.

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How to recognise Réti's Mate

  • Double check forces the king to move; nothing can block.
  • The bishop mates with support from the rook on the d-file.
  • The enemy king is surrounded by its own pieces.

How to defend

  • When grabbing material, don't forget your king; finish development and castle first.
  • A king on the open d-file is in danger; close the file or move the king away.
Réti's Mate: the final position

Frequently asked questions

In which game was Réti's mate played?

In Richard Réti's Caro-Kann against Savielly Tartakower, Vienna 1910.

What is a double check?

Two pieces giving check at once. The only escape is to move the king.

Continue with lessons

Similar checkmate patterns

  • Opera Mate — The Opera mate is a rook mating on the back rank, protected by a bishop.
  • Boden's Mate — In Boden's mate two bishops on crossing diagonals mate a king that has castled long.
  • Légal's Mate — In Légal's mate White deliberately gives up the queen; when Black takes it, the minor pieces mate the king.

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