Intermediate checkmate · 8 of 12
The smothered mate
A knight checks a king that is boxed in by its own pieces, so the king has no square to go to.
- Learn how it worksThree examples with Capra. You play each one yourself.Three examples with CapraStart the lesson
- Practise on real puzzlesPractise on puzzles80 smothered mate puzzles, from easy to very hard.0 of 80 solvedGo to the puzzlesGo to the puzzles
The king is boxed in by its own pieces
Every square around the king has to be filled. When one is still free, a sacrifice can fill it.
The knight mates
A rook and two pawns box the king in, and the knight gives the check.
A queen sacrifice on h7
The queen takes on h7 with check. The black queen has to take back, and stops guarding f7.
The double check
The knight and the queen both give check, and the king is driven into the corner.
Smothered mates in numbers
Counted from the 1,728 smothered mates in our puzzle library, all taken from real games- 1 in 150
of our puzzles ends with a smothered mate.
- 98%
of them start with a knight move.
- 63%
of them come in the middlegame.
Which piece makes the first move
- Knight98%
- Queen2%
- Rook1%
How many moves the mate takes
- Mate in 197%
- Mate in 22%
- Mate in 31%
Good to know
Smothered mates: common questions
What is a smothered mate in chess?
A smothered mate is a checkmate given by a knight to a king that is surrounded by its own pieces. The king has no square to move to, and a knight check cannot be blocked.
Why is a smothered mate always given by a knight?
The king is walled in by its own pieces, so no rook, bishop or queen has a line to it. Only a knight can jump over the wall.
What is Philidor's legacy?
The best known way to force a smothered mate. A double check from the knight and the queen drives the king into the corner, the queen is given up beside the king so that a rook has to take her, and the knight mates.
How do I spot a smothered mate?
Look for a king in the corner with its own pieces around it and one of your knights close by. If one square beside the king is still free, look for a sacrifice that makes an enemy piece fill it.