Mate with a Rook and Knight

Hidey ho chess folks!  Today Mrs Jessica E Prescott (aka BoundingOwl) is going to show you some common checkmating patterns with a rook and a knight.  The one pattern I will omit (not show you) is the Arabian Mate since you have done that one before (right?).  The rook and knight are excellent partners in checkmate crime!  

Alexandra Kosteniuk, the Chess Queen and former Women's World Champion, said recently in an article that at her level, chess is really just about pattern recognition.  I think that is very smart!  And also I think that pattern recognition is important at every level! 

So here are 5 puzzles that should be simple mate-in-ones.  Some will be Back Ranks, some will be Anastasia's Mates, some will be Semi-Smothereds.  How quickly can you recognize these patterns?

 

Rook and knight checkmate puzzles

1.  This is white to move and mate in one.

 

2.  Black to move and mate in one.

 

3.  White to move and mate in one.

 

4.  Black to move and mate in one.

 

5.  White to move and mate in one.

 

Great work!  Do you see how well the knight and rook pair up?  It's helpful to have two pieces working together to make checkmates.  We call those "helper mates" and they are the most common checkmates!  What are your two favourite pieces?

Tip of the week:  Review different checkmate patterns on chesskid.com!  For starters, click on the links to practice more puzzles.  Practice makes perfect!