Hi, I decided to write a second blog about mate! There is a lot more you need to know.
You already know about assisted mate from the last lesson. Now, let’s explore various types of mates and some important concepts to keep in mind.
Various Mates
Supported mate
The queen mates. The queen is both hunter and guard; the pawn is the helper. There is no move that Black can make.
Corner mate
The black king is totally hemmed in and cannot move. The rook is the guard. All you need for a mate is a check.
Mate with a line controlling piece
The black king is not in check and still has an escape square. For pieces which control a line like the queen, the rook and the bishop, it is no problem to give check and at the same time take away squares.
Mate with a line controlling piece
The black king is not in check and still has two escape squares. The square the king is on and the escape squares are all on the same rank. No problem for the rook!
Hunting and guarding
The black king is not in check and still has an escape square. The knight can also give check and at the same time control another square. The knight is a hunter and a guard at the same time.
Now Let’s do some exercises.
Puzzle 1
Puzzle 2
Puzzle 3
Puzzle 4
Pay attention to the defenders
In a game, there will usually be more pieces on the board than just the opposing king. In this position, the black queen and the bishop are certainly not useless.
The queen cannot mate on the squares marked with a red arrow. The black pieces are controlling the squares g7, g8 and h4. So White must go about things carefully. He must give check safely and also take control of the h7-square.
Two functions
In this position, the bishop has two jobs. Above all it is the guard but in addition, it is also the rook’s helper.
No escape square
The king has no escape squares. You might then think: a little check will be enough. But check is a little bit more difficult than that.
Summing up
To mate the opposing king, pieces have to work together. They have to divide up the jobs. The guard or the guards keep an eye on the escape squares. The hunter gives check. Together they bring about an assisted mate.
When mating you also have to keep an eye on the defenders. It is also important not to free escape squares which you were already controlling.
