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Advanced checkmate · 9 of 15

The corner mate

A rook or queen shuts the king in the corner, and a knight gives the mate.

  1. Learn how it worksThree examples with Capra. You play each one yourself.Three examples with Capra
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  2. Practise on real puzzlesPractise on puzzles80 corner mate puzzles, from easy to very hard.0 of 80 solved
    Go to the puzzlesGo to the puzzles
black rookblack kingblack pawnblack pawnblack pawnwhite knightwhite pawnwhite pawnwhite pawnwhite rookwhite king
The knight jumps to f7 with check. The rook on the g-file guards g7 and g8, so the king has no square.

The rook or queen builds the wall. The knight gives the check that nothing can answer.

  • black rookblack kingblack pawnblack pawnwhite knightblack pawnwhite pawnwhite pawnwhite pawnwhite rookwhite king

    Rook on the file

    The rook holds the g-file and the knight mates from f7.

  • black rookblack knightblack pawnblack pawnwhite rookblack kingblack pawnwhite knightblack pawnwhite pawnwhite pawnwhite pawnwhite pawnwhite king

    Rook on the rank

    The rook checks on the seventh rank and drives the king into the corner.

  • white queenblack kingblack pawnblack pawnblack pawnblack queenblack pawnwhite knightwhite pawnwhite pawnwhite pawnwhite rookwhite king

    Queen sacrifice

    The queen checks on the back rank to pull the defender away from f7.

Corner mates in numbers

Counted from the 688 corner mates in our puzzle library, all taken from real games
  • 1 in 400

    of our puzzles ends with a corner mate.

  • 76%

    of them are mate in 1.

  • 49%

    of them come in the middlegame.

Which piece makes the first move

  • Knight76%
  • Rook11%
  • Queen9%
  • Bishop2%
  • Pawn1%

How many moves the mate takes

  • Mate in 176%
  • Mate in 222%
  • Mate in 32%
  • Mate in 5+0%

Good to know

Corner mates: common questions

What is a corner mate in chess?

A corner mate is a checkmate against a king stuck in the corner. A rook or queen guards the squares beside the king, one of the king's own pieces blocks the last square, and a knight gives the check.

Which pieces do I need for a corner mate?

A knight and a rook, or a knight and a queen. The rook or queen holds the open file or rank next to the king. The knight needs a safe square that attacks the corner.

How is a corner mate different from a smothered mate?

In a smothered mate the king is shut in completely by his own pieces. In a corner mate your rook or queen does most of that job, and only one square is blocked by the king's own pawn or piece.

How do I stop a corner mate?

Do not leave your king in the corner with an open file beside him. Guard the square the knight wants to check from, or move the pawn in front of the king to give him room.