Checkmate patterns every chess player should know

A checkmate pattern is a typical arrangement of pieces in which the king is in check and has no legal move. Two things always come together: one piece gives check, and the king's escape squares are covered or blocked, often by the king's own pieces. Each diagram below shows the position just before the mate, with an arrow on the mating move. Try to find the move before you read the caption.

When you look for a mate in your own games, ask three questions:

• Which squares can the enemy king go to? Count them. A king with one escape square or none is a target.
• Which checks do I have? Look at every check, even those that sacrifice a piece. Mating combinations usually start with a check.
• What blocks the king? Own pawns in front of a castled king and own pieces next to it are the most common reason a king cannot escape.

Back rank mate. A rook or queen checks the king on its first rank, and the king's own pawns block the escape. It is one of the most common ways games end at every level. How to recognise it: the king has castled, the three pawns in front of it have not moved and no piece guards the back rank. How to prevent it: at a quiet moment, move one pawn in front of your king (for example h3 or h6) to give the king an escape square, or keep a rook on the back rank.

Ladder mate (also called the lawnmower mate). Two rooks, or a queen and a rook, take turns giving check. One covers a rank, the other checks on the next rank, and the king is pushed back one rank at a time until it reaches the edge. It needs no help from your own king, which makes it the easiest mate to learn first.

Smothered mate. A knight checks a king that is completely surrounded by its own pieces. Because a knight's check cannot be blocked, the only defence would be to capture the knight. How to recognise it: a king in the corner with its own rook and pawns next to it. The classic route is called Philidor's legacy: queen and knight give checks, the queen is sacrificed on g8 so that the rook has to take it, and the knight mates on f7.

Arabian mate. A rook checks the king in the corner from the square next to it, and a knight protects the rook and covers the last escape square. It is one of the oldest known mating patterns. How to recognise it: an enemy king in the corner, your knight two squares diagonally away from the corner (f6 or f3 for a king on h8 or h1) and an open rank or file for your rook.

Anastasia's mate. A knight and a rook trap the king on the edge of the board, with the king's own pawn blocking one escape square. The name comes from a novel by Wilhelm Heinse. In games, the h-file is often opened first with a sacrifice on h7. How to prevent it: watch out for an enemy knight that reaches e7 (or e2) next to your castled king.

Boden's mate. Two bishops on crossing diagonals mate a king that has castled queenside, while its own pieces on d7 and d8 block the escape. It is named after the English player Samuel Boden. Often a queen sacrifice on c6 or b7 opens the diagonal first. How to prevent it: after castling queenside, keep an eye on open diagonals towards a6 and b8 and do not leave the squares in front of your king empty without need.

Epaulette mate. The king stands between two of its own pieces, usually rooks, that look like the shoulder pieces on a uniform. A queen checks from two squares in front and covers the remaining squares. How to recognise it: a king that has not castled, with pieces on both sides of it on the same rank.

Scholar's mate. Queen and bishop attack f7, the weakest square in Black's position at the start because only the king defends it. How to prevent it: after 3.Qh5, play 3...g6 or 3...Qe7. Both stop the mate. 3...Nf6, which attacks the queen, loses at once to Qxf7#.

Fool's mate. White pushes the f- and g-pawns and opens the diagonal from h4 to e1. It is the fastest possible mate, after only two moves by White. The lesson: do not weaken the squares around your king with early pawn moves on the f- and g-files.

Légal's mate. White leaves the queen to be taken, and three minor pieces mate the king in the middle of the board. Black's own queen, bishop and pawn block some of the king's escape squares. How to prevent it: before you take a queen, check what the opponent's other pieces can do next. Here 5...dxe5 instead of 5...Bxd1 avoids the mate.

Patterns stick when you see them often and find them yourself. A simple routine:

1. Learn the pictures. Go through the diagrams on this page until you can name each pattern and find the mating move without the arrow.
2. Solve mating puzzles from books. Many puzzle books for beginners are sorted by pattern. With ChessWOW you can scan a book diagram, solve it on the board first and then let Stockfish 19 check your answer.
3. Play the positions out. Use the link under a diagram to play the position against Stockfish in your browser. The ladder and Philidor's legacy are good positions to practise this way.
4. Look at your own games. The game report shows the critical moments of your games, including mates you missed or allowed. With "Retry" you play the position again until you find the right move.
5. Build your own positions. In the board editor you can set up a pattern, move the pieces around a little and check whether the mate still works.

To test yourself in a full game, play against Stockfish at a level where you win some games and lose some. Real games show you whether you also spot the patterns when nobody tells you that a mate is there.