Smothered Mate
Smothered mate is one of the coolest and most surprising checkmates in all of chess! Imagine this, the king is completely squished and stuck with no room to move because its own pieces are blocking every escape square. No doors, no windows, nothing, no escape!Here is what you will learn in this article:
What is a Smothered Mate in Chess?
Smothered mate happens when an enemy king is just relaxing and surrounded by what looks like protecting pieces and then out of nowhere, BANG! A sneaky knight jumps in and delivers checkmate all by itself. The knight lands the final blow, but the earlier moves make the smothered mate possible. Knights are amazing at delivering a smothered mate because knight checks can NEVER be blocked!
Amazing, right? Just one brave knight saying, "Surprise! Checkmate!"
The reason it's called smothered mate is because the king is trapped by its own team. Tough break for the king, but a big win for the knight.
The knight on e5 will land on f7, delivering a smothered mate!
Key Characteristics of Smothered Mate
Some of the key features of smothered mate include:
- The king is on the edge of the board
- All of the possible escape squares are blocked by the king's own pieces
- Possible defenders are pinned to the king
- The knight is close and can deliver the smothered mate
The black king is on the edge of the board, all escape squares are blocked, the h7 pawn is pinned, and the knight delivers the final blow!
Examples of Smothered Mate
Sometimes a smothered mate happens because of something totally extreme, like a queen sacrifice! Other times, it happens because of a sneaky pin.
First, let's check out some smothered mates from queen sacrifices!
Now let's look at another cool way to get this cool mate by using pins!
Pins freeze enemy pieces in place. Queens, rooks, and bishops can all pin pieces. And when a piece is pinned, it is stuck in place. It may look like that piece is defending, but nope! It's actually frozen in place and can't help at all.
So, if you can pin one of the king's defenders, that piece becomes a statue, and this helps make the smothered mate possible.
Smothered Mate Opening Traps
These checkmates can also come from well-known opening traps. Make sure to watch FunMaster Mike's video about opening traps! Smothered mate opening traps usually involve a sacrifice or a pin.
How To Defend Against Smothered Mate
1. Create Luft - One important way to defend against this type of checkmate is to create some breathing room for your king, better known as "luft." By giving your king some room to move, you will not have to fear a deadly knight check.
Black plays 1...h6 to give the king some "luft" stopping any future smothered mates.
2. Protect - A second way you can successfully defend against a smothered mate is to guard the square where the knight can deliver the mate.
Black needs to protect f7 with either 1...Rc7 or 1...Qf7 to avoid smothered mate.
3. Pay Attention - In the opening, be on the lookout for your opponent possibly setting a trap! Don't just develop pieces blindly without considering your opponent's threats.
Watch out! Developing the c8 knight to d7 would allow smothered mate!
How Rare is Smothered Mate?
Smothered mate is definitely one of the coolest ways to checkmate, but it is actually quite rare. Here are a few reasons these checkmates are rare.
1. The Knight - The tricky knight has to be in the right position with coordination of other pieces for the smothered mate to work.
2. Sacrifices - We all want to play brilliant sacrifices, but spectacular sacrifices leading to this specific checkmate rarely happen. In fact, brilliant sacrifices are rare in general compared to how many games of chess you play.
3. Opening Traps - For smothered mates to work from opening traps, sometimes you have to play a dubious move and hope your opponent does not see the trap. An experienced chess player rarely falls for opening traps.
Test Your Skills on ChessKid
Ready to practice? Try these smothered mate puzzles on ChessKid and see if you can spot the winning knight move. These two puzzles will be a great way to get ready for some serious solving!
Wrapping Up
After going through this article, looking at the examples and opening traps, and watching the video, you will be ready to deliver a smothered mate when given a chance. Also, don't forget the ways to defend against this tricky mate! Smothered mate is very rare and does not happen too often, but when it does, it is a super cool and fun way to win the game! Don't forget! Smothered mates are usually delivered by a knight, and sometimes happen because of a queen sacrifice or using a deadly pin!
Smothered Mate Video
Learn the checkmate right here from ChessKid's favorite teacher, FunMasterMike! In this video, FunMasterMike goes through several examples to explain exactly how smothered mate works. This will help strengthen your understanding of this famous checkmating pattern. We recommend that you watch the video more than once!
Happy Checkmating!