Checkmate - Wikipedia

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  • 1 Examples
  • 2 Etymology
  • 3 History
  • 4 Two major pieces
  • 5 Basic mates Toggle Basic mates subsection
    • 5.1 King and queen
    • 5.2 King and rook
    • 5.3 King and two bishops
    • 5.4 King, bishop and knight
  • 6 Common checkmates Toggle Common checkmates subsection
    • 6.1 Back-rank mate
    • 6.2 Scholar's mate
    • 6.3 Fool's mate
    • 6.4 Smothered mate
  • 7 Rare checkmates Toggle Rare checkmates subsection
    • 7.1 Stamma's mate
    • 7.2 Unusual mates
    • 7.3 Two and three knights
  • 8 See also
  • 9 Notes
  • 10 References Toggle References subsection
    • 10.1 Bibliography
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Appearance move to sidebar hide From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Winning game position in chess This article is about the position in chess. For a list of checkmates, see Checkmate pattern. For other uses, see Checkmate (disambiguation).
Black is checkmated and loses the game.

Checkmate (often shortened to mate) is any game position in chess and other chess-like games in which a player's king is in check (threatened with capture) and there is no possible escape. Checkmating the opponent wins the game.

In chess, the king is never actually captured. The player loses as soon as their king is checkmated. In formal games, it is usually considered good etiquette to resign an inevitably lost game before being checkmated.[1][2]

If a player is not in check but has no legal moves, then it is stalemate, and the game immediately ends in a draw. A checkmating move is recorded in algebraic notation using the hash symbol "#", for example: 34.Qg3#.

This article uses algebraic notation to describe chess moves.

Examples

[edit]

A mate may occur in as few as two moves on one side with all of the pieces still on the board (as in fool's mate, in the opening phase of the game), in a middlegame position (as in the 1956 game called the Game of the Century between Donald Byrne and Bobby Fischer),[3] or after many moves with as few as three pieces in an endgame.

Fool's mate
abcdefgh
8a8 black rookb8 black knightc8 black bishope8 black kingf8 black bishopg8 black knighth8 black rooka7 black pawnb7 black pawnc7 black pawnd7 black pawnf7 black pawng7 black pawnh7 black pawne5 black pawng4 white pawnh4 black queenf3 white pawna2 white pawnb2 white pawnc2 white pawnd2 white pawne2 white pawnh2 white pawna1 white rookb1 white knightc1 white bishopd1 white queene1 white kingf1 white bishopg1 white knighth1 white rook8
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abcdefgh
White has been mated.[4]
D. Byrne vs. Fischer
abcdefgh
8b8 white queenf7 black pawng7 black kingc6 black pawng6 black pawnb5 black pawne5 white knighth5 black pawnb4 black bishoph4 white pawnb3 black bishopc3 black knightc2 black rookg2 white pawnc1 white king8
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abcdefgh
White is mated after 41...Rc2#.[5]
Mate with a rook
abcdefgh
8f5 white kingh5 black kingh1 white rook8
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abcdefgh
Black is mated.[6]

Etymology

[edit]

The term checkmate is, according to the Barnhart Etymological Dictionary, an alteration of the Persian phrase "shāh māt" (شاه مات), which means "the King is helpless".[7] Persian "māt" applies to the king but in Sanskrit "māta", also pronounced "māt", applied to his kingdom "traversed, measured across, and meted out" thoroughly by his opponent; "māta" is the past participle of "mā" verbal root.[8] Others maintain that it means "the King is dead", as chess reached Europe via the Arab world, and Arabic māta (مَاتَ) means "died" or "is dead".[9][10] Moghadam traced the etymology of the word mate. It comes from a Persian verb mandan (ماندن), meaning "to remain", which is cognate with the Latin word maneō and the Greek menō (μένω, which means "I remain"). It means "remained" in the sense of "abandoned" and the formal translation is "surprised", in the military sense of "ambushed".[11] "Shāh" (شاه) is the Persian word for the monarch. Players would announce "Shāh" when the king was in check. "Māt" (مات) is a Persian adjective for "at a loss", "helpless", or "defeated". So the king is in mate when he is ambushed, at a loss, helpless, defeated, or abandoned to his fate.[12]

In modern Persian, the word mate depicts a frozen, open-mouthed, staring, confused, and unresponsive person—the words "stupefied" or "stunned" bear close correlation. So a possible alternative would be to interpret mate as "unable to respond". A king being in mate (shah-mat) then means a king is unable to respond, which would correspond to there being no response that a player's king can make to the opponent's final move. This interpretation is much closer to the original intent of the game: not to kill a king but to leave him with no viable response other than surrender, which better matches the origin story detailed in the Shahnameh.

In modern parlance, the term checkmate is a metaphor for an irrefutable and strategic victory.[13]

History

[edit]

In early Sanskrit chess (c. 500–700), the king could be captured and this ended the game. The Persians (c. 700–800) introduced the idea of warning that the king was under attack (announcing check in modern terminology). This was done to avoid the early and accidental end of a game. Later, the Persians added the additional rule that a king could not be moved into check or left in check. As a result, the king could not be captured,[14] and mate was the only decisive way of ending a game.[15]

Before about 1600, the game could also be won by capturing all of the opponent's pieces, leaving just a bare king. This style of play is now called annihilation or robado.[16] In Medieval times, players began to consider it nobler to win by checkmate, so annihilation became a half-win for a while, until it was abandoned.[15]

Two major pieces

[edit]

Two major pieces (queens or rooks) can easily force mate on the edge of the board using a technique known as the ladder mate.[17] The process is to put the two pieces on adjacent ranks or files and force the king to the side of the board by using one piece to check the king and the other to cut it off from going up the board.[18] In the illustration, White mates by forcing the Black king to the edge, one row at a time. The ladder mate can be used to mate with two rooks, two queens, or a rook and a queen.[18]

Checkmate using a queen and rook. 1.Qg5+ Ke4 2.Rf4+ Ke3 3.Qg3+ Ke2 4.Rf2+ Ke1 5.Qg1#[19]

Basic mates

[edit]

There are four fundamental mates when one side has a bare king and the other side has only the minimum material needed to force mate, i.e. (1) one queen, (2) one rook, (3) two bishops on opposite-colored squares, or (4) a bishop and a knight. The king must help in accomplishing all of these mates.[20] If the winning side has more material, mates are easier.

The mate with the queen is the most common, and easiest to achieve. It often occurs when a pawn queens. A mate with the rook is also common, but a mate with two bishops or with a bishop and knight occurs infrequently. The two-bishop mate is fairly easy to accomplish, but the bishop and knight checkmate is difficult and requires precision.

King and queen

[edit]

The first two diagrams show representatives of the basic mate positions with a queen, which can occur on any edge of the board. Naturally, the exact position can vary from the diagram. In the first of the mate positions, the queen is directly in front of the opposing king and the white king is protecting its queen. In the second mate position, the kings are in opposition and the queen mates on the rank (or file) of the king.

Support mate
abcdefgh
8f8 black kingf7 white queene6 white kingf6 white circleg6 white circle8
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abcdefgh
The white king can also be on f6 or g6.[21]
Right triangle mate
abcdefgh
8h8 white circlef6 white kingh6 black kingh4 white circleh3 white circleh2 white circleh1 white queen8
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abcdefgh
The queen can also be on the marked squares.[22]
Cornered mate
abcdefgh
8g3 white kinga1 white circleb1 white circlec1 white circled1 white circlee1 white queenf1 white circleh1 black king8
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abcdefgh
The queen can also be on the marked squares.[22]
Outer row mate
abcdefgh
8h5 white queenh3 black kingf2 white king8
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abcdefgh
Pandolfini 2009, p. 23

abcdefgh
8e4 black kinga1 white queenb1 white king8
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abcdefgh
White checkmates easily.

With the side with the queen to move, checkmate can be forced in at most ten moves from any starting position, with optimal play by both sides, but usually fewer moves are required.[23][24] In positions in which a pawn has just promoted to a queen, at most nine moves are required.[25]

In the position diagrammed, White checkmates easily by confining the black king to a rectangle and shrinking the rectangle to force the king to the edge of the board:

 1. Qf6 Kd5 2. Qe7 Kd4 3. Kc2 Kd5 4. Kc3 Kc6 5. Kc4 Kb6 6. Qd7 Ka6 7. Qb5+[a] Ka7 8. Kc5 Ka8 9. Kc6 Ka7 10. Qb7#[26]

Avoid stalemate

The winning side must be careful to not stalemate the opposing king, whereas the defender would like to get into such a position. There are five general types of stalemate positions that can occur, which the stronger side must avoid. The first two are more common.[27]

abcdefgh
8a8 black kingc7 white queenh1 white king8
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abcdefgh
Stalemate if Black is to move. The queen blocks off all possible moves for Black, regardless of where the white king is placed on the board.
abcdefgh
8c6 white queena5 black kingc5 white kingc4 white circlea3 white circleb3 white circlec3 white circle8
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abcdefgh
This is stalemate if Black is to move. Also stalemate if the white king is on one of the marked squares.
abcdefgh
8b7 white queena5 black kinga3 white circleb3 white king8
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abcdefgh
This is stalemate if Black is to move. Also stalemate if the white king is on the marked square.
abcdefgh
8a8 black kingc8 white kingc7 white circled7 white circlee7 white circlef7 white circleg7 white circleh7 white queen8
77
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abcdefgh
This is stalemate if Black is to move. Also stalemate if the queen is on one of the marked squares.
abcdefgh
8a8 black kingc8 white kingb6 white circlec5 white circled4 white circlee3 white circlef2 white circleg1 white queen8
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abcdefgh
This is stalemate if Black is to move. Also stalemate if the queen is on one of the marked squares.

King and rook

[edit]
abcdefgh
8d8 black kingg8 white rookd6 white king8
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abcdefgh
Checkmate with the rook (a right triangle mate)
abcdefgh
8f8 white rookh8 black kingg6 white king8
77
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abcdefgh
A cornered checkmate with the rook[28]
abcdefgh
8e5 black kinge2 white kinge1 white rook8
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abcdefgh
White checkmates by boxing in the black king.

The first diagram shows the basic checkmate position with a rook, which can occur on any edge of the board. The black king can be on any square on the edge of the board, the white king is in opposition to it, and the rook can check from any square on the rank or file (assuming that it cannot be captured). The second diagram shows a slightly different position where the kings are not in opposition but the defending king must be in a corner.

With the side with the rook to move, checkmate can be forced in at most sixteen moves from any starting position.[27] Again, see Wikibooks – Chess/The Endgame for a demonstration of how the king and rook versus king mate is achieved.

In the third diagram position, White checkmates by confining the black king to a rectangle and shrinking the rectangle to force the king to the edge of the board:

1. Kd3+ Kd5 2. Re4 Kd6 3. Kc4! Kc6 4. Re6+ Kc7 5. Kc5 Kd7 6. Kd5 Kc7 7. Rd6 Kb7 8. Rc6 Ka7 9. Kc5 Kb7 10. Kb5 Ka7 11. Rb6 Ka8 12. Kc6 Ka7 13. Kc7 Ka8 14. Ra6# (second mate position, rotated).[29]

Avoid stalemate

There are two stalemate patterns:[30]

abcdefgh
8a8 black kingb7 white rookc6 white king8
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abcdefgh
This is stalemate if Black is to move. The white king can also be on c7 or b6.
abcdefgh
8a8 black kingc8 white kingh7 white rook8
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abcdefgh
This is stalemate if Black is to move.

King and two bishops

[edit]

The two bishops mate is the checkmate of a bare king by the opponent's two bishops and king.[b] The superior side is able to drive the bare king into a corner and force mate using the two bishops and king collaboratively. The only stipulation is that the two bishops must move on opposite-colored squares.[c][32] Accomplishing the mate requires a maximum of 19 moves.

Checkmates with two bishops
abcdefgh
8a8 black kingc7 white bishopb6 white kingc6 white bishop8
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abcdefgh
Checkmate via forcing opponent's king in a corner
abcdefgh
8b8 black kingb7 white bishopb6 white kingd6 white bishop8
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abcdefgh
Checkmate via a side square adjacent to a corner square

The king and bishops cooperate to drive the enemy king to an edge of the board, and then into a corner to deliver the mate.[31] "The process, though a bit lengthy, is fascinating because it gives us a glimpse of the power of the two bishops on the open board."[33]

Three basic checkmate positions are possible via the two bishops checkmate.[34] The first is a checkmate in the corner. The second position is a checkmate on a side square next to the corner square (this position can theoretically occur anywhere along an edge, but can only be forced adjacent to a corner). With the side with the bishops to move, checkmate can be forced in at most nineteen moves,[35] except in some very rare positions (0.03% of the possible positions).[36] The third position, checkmating the king on an edge square that is neither a corner nor its adjacent side squares, is possible but not forceable.[34]

It is not too difficult for two bishops to force checkmate, with the aid of their king. Two principles apply:

  • The bishops are best when they are near the center of the board and on adjacent diagonals. This cuts off the opposing king.
  • The king must be used aggressively, in conjunction with the bishops.
From Seirawan
abcdefgh
8d4 black kingc1 white bishopd1 white kingf1 white bishop8
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abcdefgh
Two bishops and king can force mate.

In the position from Seirawan, White wins by first forcing the black king to the side of the board, then to a corner, and then checkmates. It can be any side of the board and any corner. The process is:

1. Ke2 Ke4 (Black tries to keep his king near the center) 2. Be3 Ke5 (forcing the king back, which is done often) 3. Kd3 Kd5 4. Bd4 Ke6 5. Ke4 Kd6 (Black tries a different approach to stay near the center) 6. Bc4 (White has a fine position; the bishops are centralized and the king is active) 6... Kc6 (Black avoids going toward the side) 7. Ke5 Kd7 (Black is trying to avoid the a8-corner) 8. Bd5 (keeping the black king off c6) 8... Kc7 9. Bc5 Kd7 10. Bd6! (an important move that forces the king to the edge of the board) 10... Ke8 (Black is still avoiding the corner) 11. Ke6 (now the black king cannot get off the edge of the board) 11... Kd8 12. Bc6 (forcing the king toward the corner) 12... Kc8 (Black's king is confined to c8 and d8; the white king must cover a7 and b7) 13. Kd5 (13. Ke7? is stalemate) 13... Kd8 14. Kc5 Kc8 15. Kb6 Kd8 (now White must allow the king to move into the corner) 16. Bc5 Kc8 17. Be7! (an important move that forces the king toward the corner) 17... Kb8 18. Bd7! (the same principle as the previous move) 18... Ka8 19. Bd8 (White must make a move that gives up a tempo; this move is such a move, along with Bc5, Bf8, Be6, or Ka6) 19... Kb8 20. Bc7+ Ka8 21. Bc6# (as the first diagram in this section).[37]

This is not the shortest forced checkmate from this position. Müller and Lamprecht give a fifteen-move solution; however, it contains an inaccurate move by Black (according to endgame tablebases).[35]

Avoid stalemate

From Silman
abcdefgh
8a8 black kingc7 white bishopb6 black crossc6 white kingc4 white bishop8
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abcdefgh
1.Kb6 would be stalemate.

One example of a stalemate is this position, where 1.Kb6 (marked with the x) would be stalemate.[38]

King, bishop and knight

[edit] Main article: Bishop and knight checkmate

Of the basic checkmates, this is the most difficult one to force, because these two pieces cannot form a linear barrier to the enemy king from a distance. Also, the checkmate can be forced only in a corner that the bishop controls.[36][39]

Checkmates with a bishop and a knight
abcdefgh
8h8 black kingf6 white bishopg6 white kingh6 white knight8
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abcdefgh
abcdefgh
8g8 black kingg7 white bishopf6 white knightg6 white king8
77
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abcdefgh

Two basic checkmate positions are shown with a bishop and a knight, or the bishop and knight checkmate.[40] The first position is a checkmate by the bishop, with the black king in the corner. The bishop can be on other squares along the diagonal, the white king and knight have to be on squares that attack g8 and h7. The second position is a checkmate by the knight, with the black king on a side square next to the corner. The knight can be on other squares that check the black king. The white king must be on a square to protect the bishop and cover a square not covered by the knight.

With the side with the bishop and knight to move, checkmate can be forced in at most thirty-three moves from any starting position,[41] except those in which the defending king is initially forking the bishop and knight and it is not possible to defend both. However, the mating process requires accurate play, since a few errors could result in a draw either by the fifty-move rule or stalemate.

Opinions differ as to whether or not a player should learn this checkmate procedure. James Howell omits the checkmate with two bishops in his book because it rarely occurs but includes the bishop and knight checkmate. Howell says that he has had it three times (always on the defending side) and that it occurs more often than the checkmate with two bishops.[42] On the other hand, Jeremy Silman includes the checkmate with two bishops but not the bishop plus knight checkmate because he has had it only once and his friend John Watson has never had it.[43] Silman says: "... mastering it would take a significant chunk of time. Should the chess hopeful really spend many of his precious hours he's put aside for chess study learning an endgame he will achieve (at most) only once or twice in his lifetime?"

Avoid stalemate

abcdefgh
8a3 white knightc3 white kingb1 black kingd1 white bishop8
77
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abcdefgh
After 1.Na3+?, 1...Kc1! draws.

This position is an example of a stalemate, from the end of a 1966 endgame study by A. H. Branton. White has just moved 1.Na3+? If Black moves 1...Kc1!, then White must move his bishop to save it because if the bishop is captured, the position is a draw because of the insufficient material rule. But after any bishop move, the position is a stalemate.[44]

Common checkmates

[edit]

Back-rank mate

[edit] Main article: Back-rank checkmate From Burgess, p. 16
abcdefgh
8d8 black crossg8 black kingd7 white rookf7 black pawng7 black pawnh7 black pawne1 white king8
77
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abcdefgh
White wins with 1.Rd8#.

A back-rank checkmate is a checkmate delivered by a rook or queen along a back rank (that is, the row on which the pieces [not pawns] stand at the start of the game) in which the mated king is unable to move up the board because the king is blocked by friendly pieces (usually pawns) on the second rank.[45] An example of a back-rank checkmate is shown in the diagram. It is also known as the corridor mate.

Scholar's mate

[edit] Main article: Scholar's mate
abcdefgh
8a8 black rookc8 black bishopd8 black queene8 black kingf8 black bishoph8 black rooka7 black pawnb7 black pawnc7 black pawnd7 black pawnf7 white queeng7 black pawnh7 black pawnc6 black knightf6 black knighte5 black pawnc4 white bishope4 white pawna2 white pawnb2 white pawnc2 white pawnd2 white pawnf2 white pawng2 white pawnh2 white pawna1 white rookb1 white knightc1 white bishope1 white kingg1 white knighth1 white rook8
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abcdefgh
Scholar's Mate—Black is checkmated.
Animation demonstrating Scholar's Mate

The scholar's mate (also known as the four-move checkmate) is the checkmate achieved by the moves:

1. e4 e5 2. Qh5 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6?? 4. Qxf7#

The moves might be played in a different order or in slight variation, but the basic idea is the same: the queen and bishop combine in a simple mating attack on f7 (or f2 if Black is performing the mate).[46] There are also other ways to checkmate in four moves.

Fool's mate

[edit] Main article: Fool's mate
abcdefgh
8a8 black rookb8 black knightc8 black bishope8 black kingf8 black bishopg8 black knighth8 black rooka7 black pawnb7 black pawnc7 black pawnd7 black pawnf7 black pawng7 black pawnh7 black pawne5 black pawng4 white pawnh4 black queenf3 white pawna2 white pawnb2 white pawnc2 white pawnd2 white pawne2 white pawnh2 white pawna1 white rookb1 white knightc1 white bishopd1 white queene1 white kingf1 white bishopg1 white knighth1 white rook8
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abcdefgh
Fool's Mate—White is checkmated.
Animation demonstrating Fool's Mate

The fool's mate, also known as the two-move checkmate, is the quickest possible checkmate. A prime example consists of the moves:

1. f3 e5 2. g4 Qh4#

resulting in the position shown.[47] (The pattern can have slight variations, for example White might play f4 instead of f3 or move the g-pawn first, and Black might play ...e6 instead of ...e5.)

Smothered mate

[edit] Main article: Smothered mate Timman vs. Short, 1990[48]
abcdefgh
8e8 black rookh8 black kingc7 black pawnd7 white rooke7 white pawng7 black pawnh7 black pawnc6 black pawna5 black pawnf5 black pawng5 white knightc4 white queeng4 black knighta3 black queeng3 white pawna2 white pawne2 white pawnf2 white pawnh2 white pawng1 white king8
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abcdefgh
Smothered mate after 27.Nf7+ Kg8 28.Nh6+ Kh8 29.Qg8+ Rxg8 30.Nf7#.
abcdefgh
8g8 black rookh8 black kingc7 black pawnd7 white rooke7 white pawnf7 white knightg7 black pawnh7 black pawnc6 black pawna5 black pawnf5 black pawng4 black knighta3 black queeng3 white pawna2 white pawne2 white pawnf2 white pawnh2 white pawng1 white king8
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Final position

A smothered mate is a checkmate delivered by a knight in which the mated king is unable to move because it is surrounded (or smothered) by its own pieces.[49]

The mate is usually seen in a corner of the board, since fewer pieces are needed to surround the king there. The most common form of smothered mate is seen in the adjacent diagram. The knight on f7 delivers mate to the king on h8 which is prevented from escaping the check by the rook on g8 and the pawns on g7 and h7. Similarly, White can be mated with the white king on h1 and the knight on f2.

Rare checkmates

[edit]

In some rare positions it is possible to force checkmate with a king and knight versus a king and pawn.

Stamma's mate

[edit] Stamma's mate
abcdefgh
8a3 black pawnd3 white knighta2 black kingc2 white king8
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abcdefgh
White wins with either side to move.

In the diagram showing Stamma's mate (named for Philipp Stamma), White to move wins:[50]

1. Nb4+ Ka1 2. Kc1 a2 3. Nc2#

White also wins if Black is to move first:

1... Ka1 2. Nc1 a2 3. Nb3# Nogueiras vs. Gongora, 2001
abcdefgh
8d7 white knighta3 black pawna2 black kingd2 white king8
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abcdefgh
White to move wins.

This checkmate occurred in Jesús Nogueiras–Maikel Gongora, 2001 Cuban Championship[51] (see diagram), which proceeded:

81. Kc2 Ka1 82. Nc5 Ka2

If 82...a2 then 83.Nb3#.

83. Nd3

Reaching the position in the first diagram, with Black to move.

83... Ka1 84. Nc1 1–0

Black resigned here; play would have continued 84...a2 85.Nb3#.[52]

abcdefgh
8a3 black pawna2 black kingc2 white kingd2 white knight8
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abcdefgh
White to move wins.

A similar position with the knight on d2 is more than 500 years old, identified as "Partito n. 23" by Luca Pacioli, in his MS De ludo scachorum (Latin for "The game of chess"), dated 1498 and recently reprinted (Gli scacchi) by Aboca Museum Edizioni.

1. Nf3 Ka1 2. Nd4 Ka2 3. Ne2 Ka1 4. Nc1 a2 5. Nb3#

Unusual mates

[edit]

There are also positions in which a king and a knight can checkmate a king and a bishop, knight, or rook; or a king and a bishop can checkmate a king with a bishop on the other color of squares or with a knight, but the checkmate cannot be forced if there is no other material on the board (see the diagrams for some examples).[53] Nevertheless, it keeps these material combinations from being ruled a draw because of "insufficient mating material" or "impossibility of checkmate" under the FIDE rules of chess. The U.S. Chess Federation rules are different. In a typical position with a minor piece versus a minor piece, a player would be able to claim a draw if they have a limited amount of time left.[54]

Pandolfini
abcdefgh
8g8 black bishoph8 black kingg6 white kinge5 white bishop8
77
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abcdefgh
Checkmate, but cannot be forced
Pandolfini
abcdefgh
8h8 black kingf7 white kingg7 white bishoph7 black knight8
77
66
55
44
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abcdefgh
Checkmate, but cannot be forced
Pandolfini
abcdefgh
8a3 white kingb3 white knighta1 black kingb1 black bishop8
77
66
55
44
33
22
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abcdefgh
Checkmate, but cannot be forced

Pandolfini
abcdefgh
8g3 white knightf2 white kingh2 black knighth1 black king8
77
66
55
44
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abcdefgh
Checkmate, but cannot be forced
 
abcdefgh
8b3 white knighta2 black rooka1 black kingc1 white king8
77
66
55
44
33
22
11
abcdefgh
Checkmate, but cannot be forced
 
abcdefgh
8h8 black kingf7 white kingf6 white knightg6 white knight8
77
66
55
44
33
22
11
abcdefgh
Checkmate, but cannot be forced

Two and three knights

[edit] Two knights Main article: Two knights endgame
abcdefgh
8h8 black kingf7 white kingf6 white knightg6 white knight8
77
66
55
44
33
22
11
abcdefgh
Checkmate positions are possible to construct, but they cannot be forced.
abcdefgh
8b8 black kinga6 white knightb6 white kingb5 white knight8
77
66
55
44
33
22
11
abcdefgh
Checkmate cannot be forced. Here, ...Ka8?? allows checkmate (Nbc7#), but ...Kc8 avoids it.
abcdefgh
8b3 white kinge2 white knightb1 black kingd1 white knight8
77
66
55
44
33
22
11
abcdefgh
White cannot force checkmate because of stalemate.

It is impossible to force checkmate with a king and two knights, although checkmate positions are possible (see the first diagram). In the second diagram, if Black plays 1...Ka8?? White can checkmate with 2.Nbc7#, but Black can play 1...Kc8 and escape the threat. The defender's task is easy – they simply have to avoid moving into a position in which they can be checkmated on the next move, and they always have another move available in such situations.[55]

In the third diagram, one knight is guarding c1, leaving the other knight to try to checkmate. After 1.Ndc3+ Ka1, White needs to get the knight on e2 to c2. But if White plays 2.Nd4, Black is stalemated.[56]

Under some circumstances, two knights and a king can force checkmate against a king and pawn (or rarely more pawns). The winning plan, quite difficult to execute in practice, is to blockade the enemy pawn(s) with one of the knights, maneuver the enemy king into a stalemated position, then bring the other knight over to checkmate.[56] (See Two knights endgame.)

Three knights

Three knights and a king can force checkmate against a lone king within twenty moves (assuming that the lone king cannot quickly win a knight).[57] These situations are generally only seen in chess problems, since at least one of the knights must be a promoted piece, and there is rarely a reason to promote a pawn to a piece other than a queen (see underpromotion).

See also

[edit]
  • iconChess portal
  • Boden's Mate
  • Checkmate patterns
  • Chess problem
  • Chess theory
  • Hisshi (brinkmate)
  • Ideal mate
  • Légal Trap
  • Model mate
  • Pawnless chess endgame
  • Pure mate
  • Two knights endgame

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ 7.Kc5 wins two moves faster.
  2. ^ "Against one knight or one bishop the defender cannot lose even if he wants to."[31]
  3. ^ Only an underpromotion can result in bishops on same-colored squares.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Hooper & Whyld 1992, p. 336
  2. ^ Burgess 2009, p. 526
  3. ^ "D. Byrne vs. Fischer, New York 1956". Chessgames.com. Retrieved 17 September 2022.
  4. ^ Kurzdorfer 2003, p. 92
  5. ^ Burgess, Nunn & Emms 2004, p. 216
  6. ^ Kurzdorfer 2003, p. 144
  7. ^ Harper, Douglas; Dan McCormack. "Online Etymology Dictionary". Retrieved May 29, 2010.
  8. ^ Monier-Williams Sanskrit Dictionary
  9. ^ Hooper & Whyld 1992
  10. ^ Davidson 1949, p. 70
  11. ^ Davidson 1949, pp. 70–71
  12. ^ Murray 2012, p. 159
  13. ^ "Checkmate – Definition and More from the Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary". Merriam-webster.com. 2010-08-13. Retrieved 2012-06-18.
  14. ^ Davidson 1949, p. 22
  15. ^ a b Davidson 1949, pp. 63–64
  16. ^ Davidson, Henry (2012). A Short History of Chess. Three Rivers Press. ISBN 9780307828293.
  17. ^ Ago, Beauknowsin #chess • 3 Years (2017-10-26). "Chess Lessons for Beginners #1 – The Ladder Checkmate!". Steemit. Retrieved 2020-06-05.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  18. ^ a b Pandolfini 1988, pp. 18–20
  19. ^ Silman 2007, pp. 7–8
  20. ^ Silman 2007, p. 33
  21. ^ Pandolfini 2009, p. 22
  22. ^ a b Pandolfini 2009, p. 23
  23. ^ Fine & Benko 2003, pp. 1–2
  24. ^ Müller & Lamprecht 2001, p. 16
  25. ^ Levy & Newborn 1991, p. 144
  26. ^ Seirawan 2003, pp. 4–5
  27. ^ a b Fine & Benko 2003, p. 2
  28. ^ Pandolfini 2009, p. 36
  29. ^ Seirawan 2003, pp. 1–4
  30. ^ Fine & Benko 2003, pp. 2–3
  31. ^ a b Fine 1979, p. 1.
  32. ^ Fine 1979, p. 4, "Two bishops of the same color cannot administer mate; a mating position is not even conceivable. The same holds true of nine (or more!) bishops all of one color."
  33. ^ Reinfeld, Fred (1959). The Complete Chess Course. Doubleday & Company, Inc. p. 330. ISBN 0385004648. {{cite book}}: ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)
  34. ^ a b Fine 1979, p. 3.
  35. ^ a b Müller & Lamprecht 2001, p. 17
  36. ^ a b Speelman, Tisdall & Wade 1993, p. 7
  37. ^ Seirawan 2003, pp. 5–7
  38. ^ Silman 2007, p. 191
  39. ^ Müller & Lamprecht 2001, p. 18
  40. ^ Kurzdorfer 2003, p. 155
  41. ^ Müller & Lamprecht 2001, p. 19
  42. ^ Howell 1997, p. 138
  43. ^ Silman 2007, pp. 33, 188
  44. ^ Roycroft 1972, p. 246
  45. ^ Burgess 2009, p. 16
  46. ^ Hooper & Whyld 1992, pp. 358–59
  47. ^ Hooper & Whyld 1992, p. 143
  48. ^ "Timman vs. Short, Tilburg 1990". Chessgames.com.
  49. ^ Hooper & Whyld 1992, p. 376
  50. ^ Emms 2004, p. 122
  51. ^ "Nogueiras vs. Gongora, Las Tunas 2001". Chessgames.com. 2005-02-08. Retrieved 2012-06-18.
  52. ^ Snape 2003, p. 55
  53. ^ Pandolfini 2009, p. 63
  54. ^ Just & Burg 2003, pp. 49, 291
  55. ^ Speelman, Tisdall & Wade 1993, p. 11
  56. ^ a b Pandolfini 2009, p. 59
  57. ^ Fine 1941, pp. 5–6

Bibliography

[edit]
  • Burgess, Graham; Nunn, John; Emms, John (2004), The Mammoth Book of the World's Greatest Chess Games (2nd ed.), Carroll & Graf, ISBN 978-0-7867-1411-7
  • Burgess, Graham (2009), The Mammoth Book of Chess (3rd ed.), Running Press, ISBN 978-0-7624-3726-9
  • Davidson, Henry (1949), A Short History of Chess, McKay, ISBN 0-679-14550-8 {{citation}}: ISBN / Date incompatibility (help) (1981 paperback)
  • Emms, John (2004), Starting Out: Minor Piece Endgames, Everyman Chess, ISBN 1-85744-359-4
  • Fine, Reuben (1941), Basic Chess Endings, McKay, ISBN 0-679-14002-6 {{citation}}: ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)
  • Fine, Reuben (1979) [First pub. 1941]. Basic Chess Endings. David McKay Company, Inc. ISBN 0-679-14002-6.
  • Fine, Reuben; Benko, Pal (2003), Basic Chess Endings, McKay, ISBN 0-8129-3493-8
  • Golombek, Harry (1976), Chess: A History, Putnam, ISBN 0-399-11575-7
  • Hooper, David; Whyld, Kenneth (1992), The Oxford Companion to Chess (2nd ed.), Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-280049-3
  • Howell, James (1997), Essential Chess Endings: The tournament player's guide, Batsford, ISBN 0-7134-8189-7
  • Just, Tim; Burg, Daniel B. (2003), U.S. Chess Federation's Official Rules of Chess (5th ed.), McKay, ISBN 0-8129-3559-4
  • Kurzdorfer, Peter (2003), The Everything Chess Basics Book, Adams Media, ISBN 978-1-58062-586-9
  • Levy, David; Newborn, Monty (1991), How Computers Play Chess, Computer Science Press, ISBN 0-7167-8121-2
  • McKean, Erin (2005), The New Oxford American Dictionary (2nd ed.), Oxford University Press, ISBN 978-0-19-517077-1
  • Müller, Karsten; Lamprecht, Frank (2001), Fundamental Chess Endings, Gambit Publications, ISBN 1-901983-53-6
  • Murray, H.J.R. (2012) [1913], A History of Chess, Skyhorse, ISBN 978-1-62087-062-4
  • Pandolfini, Bruce (1988), Pandolfini's Endgame Course, Fireside, Simon & Schuster, ISBN 978-0-671-65688-1
  • Pandolfini, Bruce (2009), Endgame Workshop: Principles for the Practical Player, Russell Enterprises, ISBN 978-1-888690-53-8
  • Roycroft, John (1972), Test Tube Chess, London: Faber and Faber, ISBN 0-571-09573-9
  • Schiller, Eric (1999), Encyclopedia of Chess Wisdom (1st ed.), Cardoza Publishing, ISBN 0-940685-93-0
  • Seirawan, Yasser (2003), Winning Chess Endings, Everyman Chess, ISBN 1-85744-348-9
  • Silman, Jeremy (2007), Silman's Complete Endgame Course: From Beginner to Master, Siles Press, ISBN 978-1-890085-10-0
  • Snape, Ian (2003), Chess Endings Made Simple: How to Approach the Endgame with Confidence, Gambit Publications, ISBN 1-901983-97-8
  • Speelman, Jon; Tisdall, Jon; Wade, Bob (1993), Batsford Chess Endings, B. T. Batsford, ISBN 0-7134-4420-7
  • Sunnucks, Anne (1970), The Encyclopaedia of Chess, St. Martins Press, ISBN 978-0-7091-4697-1
Look up checkmate in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. Wikibooks has a book on the topic of: Chess/The Endgame
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