Beginner checkmate · 11 of 11
Pillsbury's mate
A rook gives checkmate along an open line, and a bishop covers the king's escape squares.
- Learn how it worksThree examples with Capra. You play each one yourself.Three examples with CapraStart the lesson
- Practise on real puzzlesPractise on puzzles80 pillsbury's mate puzzles, from easy to very hard.0 of 80 solvedGo to the puzzlesGo to the puzzles
One pair, three mates
The rook gives the check. The bishop covers the squares the rook cannot reach.
On the g-file
The rook checks along the open g-file, and the bishop covers g7 and the corner.
On the back rank
The rook checks along the back rank, and the bishop covers the escape square on h7.
The whole combination
The rook takes the g-pawn with check. A double check and a second rook finish it.
Pillsbury's mates in numbers
Counted from the 5,986 Pillsbury's mates in our puzzle library, all taken from real games- 1 in 50
of our puzzles ends with Pillsbury's mate.
- 52%
of them are mate in 2.
- 63%
of them come in the endgame.
Which piece makes the first move
- Rook81%
- Queen13%
- Bishop4%
- Knight2%
- Pawn1%
How many moves the mate takes
- Mate in 143%
- Mate in 252%
- Mate in 35%
- Mate in 40%
- Mate in 5+0%
Good to know
Pillsbury's mates: common questions
What is Pillsbury's mate in chess?
Pillsbury's mate is a checkmate by a rook and a bishop. The rook gives the check along an open file or rank, and the bishop covers the squares the king could step to. The classic picture is a rook on the g-file against a castled king, with a bishop on the long diagonal covering g7 and h8.
Why is it called Pillsbury's mate?
It is named after Harry Nelson Pillsbury, the American master who won the Hastings tournament of 1895. He was one of the best attacking players of his day.
What is the difference between Pillsbury's mate and Morphy's mate?
The same two pieces swap jobs. In Pillsbury's mate the rook gives the check and the bishop covers the escape squares. In Morphy's mate the bishop gives the check and the rook covers the escape squares.
Does Pillsbury's mate have to be on the g-file?
No. That is the classic form, but the same pair mates on other lines too. In puzzles it is most often a rook check along the back rank, with the bishop covering the one square the king could escape to.