Expert checkmate · 8 of 9
The Vuković mate
A rook mates a king on the edge. A knight covers the squares beside him and a third piece guards the rook.
- Learn how it worksThree examples with Capra. You play each one yourself.Three examples with CapraStart the lesson
- Practise on real puzzlesPractise on puzzles80 vuković mate puzzles, from easy to very hard.0 of 80 solvedGo to the puzzlesGo to the puzzles
Three helpers for the rook
The rook and the knight always do the same jobs. The third piece can be anything that guards the rook.
A bishop guards the rook
The rook mates on c7, guarded by the bishop on f4.
The king guards the rook
The knight check drives the king to e8. The rook mates next, guarded by your king.
A pawn guards the rook
The rook takes on f7 with check. Two moves later the rook mates on g7, guarded by the pawn.
Vuković mates in numbers
Counted from the 256 Vuković mates in our puzzle library, all taken from real games- 1 in 1100
of our puzzles ends with a Vuković mate.
- 58%
of them are mate in 2.
- 70%
of them come in the endgame.
Which piece makes the first move
- Rook48%
- Knight46%
- Queen2%
- Bishop2%
- Pawn1%
How many moves the mate takes
- Mate in 128%
- Mate in 258%
- Mate in 310%
- Mate in 44%
- Mate in 5+0%
Good to know
Vuković mates: common questions
What is a Vuković mate in chess?
A Vuković mate is a checkmate by a rook and a knight against a king on the edge of the board. The rook checks from the square in front of the king, the knight stands behind the rook and covers the two squares beside the king, and a third piece guards the rook.
Who is the Vuković mate named after?
Vladimir Vuković, a Croatian master best known for his book The Art of Attack in Chess.
Which piece guards the rook?
Any piece that can. A pawn, a bishop, a queen or the king all do the job. The lesson shows a bishop, the king and a pawn.
How do I set up a Vuković mate?
Get a rook to the seventh rank and a knight near the king. A knight check that drives the king to the edge, or that lands two squares in front of him, is the usual last step before the rook mates.