Most Common Mates
These are the most common mating themes and patterns that occur in chess play. It is would be definitely worth your while to study these patterns and become thoroughly familiar with them. Many of them have been named after famous players who either are known for having played them or who mentioned them in their books. Some of them have been given names that describe them. I have often watched games in the park and in clubs and I see good players overlooking mates. And even grand masters have been known to overlook mates in their games. So if you can train yourself to see mates and mating possibilities as you play, your rating will definitely increase substantially from doing this one thing alone! My theory about memorization is that if you give names to each position and make an effort not only to remember the position but to remember the names as well you will be more able to recall the positions when you need them in actual play. Some of these diagrams are animated. Click refresh to re-start animation. If you, the reader, have any additional information to provide for this page please contact me. I am looking for notes, games and videos on these positions, as well as diagrams, videos and notes on new positions, especially ones that occur frequently. You can use mail form at bottom of this page.More information on checkmates can be found at these three sites:
Anastasia's Mate
Click refresh to re-start animation.
Anderssen's Mate
Arabian mate
1 Nf6+ Kh8, 2 Rh7 mate or 1 .... Kf8, 2 Rf7 mate
Back Rank Mate
Blackburne's Mate
Example 2
Black to move and mate
1 Rxg7+ Kh8, 2 Rxf7+! Kg8, 3 Rg7+ Kh8, 4 Rg1+ Rf6, 5 Bxf6 mate
1 Qd8+ Kxd8, 2 Bg5+ Kc7, 3 Bd8 mate or 2 ... Ke8 3 RD8
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Boden's Mate
Damiano's Mate
Epaulette Mate
Fool's Mate
Greco's Mate
Gueridon Mate
Legal's Mate
Lolli's Mate--1
Lolli's Mate--2
Max Lange's mate
1...Bc5+ 2 Kh1 Ng3+ 3 hxg3 Qg5, 4 Rf5 h5! 5 Rxg5 hxg4 mate
Morphy's Concealed Mate
Morphy's Mate
Philidor's Legacy--Smothered Mate
Philidor's Mate
Pillsbury's Mate
Reti's mate
Scholar's Mate
Swallow's Tail
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