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Elementary Chess Mates

An Elementary Checkmate occurs when a lone king is checkmated by the opposing king combined with one or more pieces. Pawns complicate the endgame significantly, and will not be discussed in this article. For clarity, in each example white will be taken as the attacker and black as the defender.


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Checkmate on the back rank with two Rooks.

King and Two Rooks vs. King

This is the simplest and most intuitive of the Elementary Mates. White achieves this mate by pushing the black king back to the edge, row by row. A Queen could be substituted for either of the Rooks.


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The King supports the Queen to deliver mate.

King and Queen vs. King

Unlike the previous example, the power of the white King must be employed to achieve victory. In this case the King supports the Queen, who delivers checkmate.


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The King blocks the 7th rank while the Rook delivers mate on the back rank.

King and Rook vs. King

A King and Rook can't mate in the same way as the previous example. The White King must be used to block the squares on the 7th rank, while the rook delivers mate on the back rank. A Queen could be substituted for the Rook.


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The two Bishops fire beside each other. The King blocks exit up the side.

King and 2 Bishops vs. King

Two Bishops mate by working together to hem the black King into the corner. The white King must be used to block the enemy's escape up the side of the board.


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Critical mating pattern #1. The Bishop controls the corner and delivers mate. The Knight and King block escape.
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Critical mating pattern #2. The Knight delivers mate. The Bishop and King block escape.

King, Bishop and Knight vs. King

The King, Bishop and Knight vs. King endgame is the most difficult Elementary Mate to learn, as it requires precise maneuvering. Here are the two principals of the mate:

The exact sequence of moves required to pull off this mate is beyond the scope of this article.


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This checkmate can't be achieved against competent defense.

A Drawn Game - King and 2 Knights vs. King

The fact that this endgame is drawn can come as a surprise to novices. As the diagram shows, it is possible to set up a position on the board in which the lone king is checkmated. In practice, however, it is not possible to reach this situation against a reasonable defense.


Other Drawn Games

There are several other drawn games:

Back - Next
Chess Strategy - Table of Contents
Introduction
Strategy vs Tactics - Piece Values - Elementary Checkmates
The Three Game Phases - Opening Basics - Middlegame Basics - Endgame Basics
Top 10 Opening Principles - Top 10 Middlegame Principles - Top 10 Endgame Principles
Balanced Endgames - Part 2
Opening Systems

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