Smothered Mate

A smothered mate is a checkmate delivered by a knight in which the mated king is unable to move because he is surrounded (or smothered) by his own pieces.

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0,0,0,0,32,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,2,129,129,0,0,0,0,0,0,136,160|7,7,1,0,kingattack.png,0,6,5,4,0,red_overlay.png,0,6,5,0,0,green_f.png,0,7,7,4,0,red_overlay.png,0|A smothered mate is a checkmate delivered by a knight in which the mated king is unable to move because he is surrounded (or smothered) by his own pieces.||0,0,0,0,32,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,4,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,2,0,0,0,0,0,16,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,129,129,136,0,0,0,0,0,0,160|7,6,0,0,x_red.png,0|For a smothered mate to occur in a game, it is usually necessary to sacrifice material to compel pieces to smother the king – a player is unlikely to voluntarily surround his king with pieces in a position where a smothered mate is possible.|4,5,6,7,red,0,7,6,7,green|0,0,0,0,32,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,4,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,2,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,129,129,136,0,0,0,0,0,16,160|7,7,1,0,kingattack.png,0,7,6,0,0,x_red.png,0,7,6,4,0,red_overlay.png,0,7,0,4,0,red_overlay.png,0,4,6,4,0,green_overlay.png,0,6,5,4,0,green_overlay.png,0|Here the black king can not capture white's queen because it is covered with the white bishop.  Black's rook must capture the queen and now the knight can ride in and mate the 'smothered' king.|0,7,6,7,red,6,4,5,6,green|0,0,0,0,32,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,4,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,16,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,2,0,0,0,0,0,0,129,129,136,0,0,0,0,0,0,160||Here is another example where the black king can not defend against the attacking queen.  This time it is the knight that is protecting the queen.||0,0,0,0,32,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,4,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,2,0,0,0,0,0,0,129,129,136,0,0,0,0,0,16,160|7,7,1,0,kingattack.png,0,7,6,4,0,red_overlay.png,0,7,0,4,0,red_overlay.png,0,5,7,4,0,green_overlay.png,0,6,5,4,0,green_overlay.png,0|After the rook captures the queen the knight again can go in for the mate.|0,7,6,7,red,7,5,5,6,green|0,0,0,0,32,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,4,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,2,129,129,0,0,0,0,0,0,136,160|7,7,1,0,kingattack.png,0,6,5,4,0,red_overlay.png,0,7,7,4,0,red_overlay.png,0,7,6,1,0,attackcross.png,0|And it ends the same for the king.||0,0,0,0,32,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,16,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,2,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,129,129,136,0,0,0,0,0,0,160|4,6,4,0,blue_overlay.png,0,6,5,4,0,blue_overlay.png,0|One more example this time with only the white queen and knight.  The knight goes in and checks the king.|6,4,5,6,red|0,0,0,0,32,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,16,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,2,129,129,136,0,0,0,0,0,0,160|7,7,1,0,kingattack.png,0|The king only has one option and so moves to the g file.|7,7,6,7,blue|0,0,0,0,32,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,16,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,2,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,129,129,136,0,0,0,0,0,160,0|7,7,3,0,targetmove.png,0,7,5,3,0,targetmove.png,0,7,6,1,0,kingattack.png,0,6,5,4,0,yellow_overlay.png,0,4,6,4,0,yellow_overlay.png,0,7,7,4,0,blue_overlay.png,0,7,6,4,0,blue_overlay.png,0|The knight retreats and with a discovered check from white's queen the king only has two choices move to f7 or h7.  The move to f7 would end in a checkmate from the queen as she will have cover from the knight.  So the king moves to h7 to prolong the checkmate.|2,3,6,7,red,5,6,6,4,yellow|0,0,0,0,32,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,2,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,129,129,136,0,0,0,0,0,16,160|7,7,1,0,kingattack.png,0|And as we have seen before the queen checks the king, rook takes the queen.|0,7,6,7,red|0,0,0,0,32,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,2,129,129,0,0,0,0,0,0,136,160|7,6,1,0,attackcross.png,0,7,7,1,0,kingattack.png,0,6,5,4,0,red_overlay.png,0,7,7,4,0,red_overlay.png,0,4,6,4,0,yellow_overlay.png,0|And the knight goes in for the mate.|6,4,5,6,yellow|8,2,4,16,32,4,0,8,1,1,0,1,2,1,1,1,0,0,0,130,1,0,0,0,0,0,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,129,129,129,129,129,129,129,129,136,0,132,144,160,132,130,136|0,4,1,0,kingattack.png,0,2,3,4,0,red_overlay.png,0,0,4,4,0,red_overlay.png,0|A smothered mate can be dealt early in a game as well.

Here is an example of a knight marching in and delivering a quick smothered mate.  At first it looks as though the knight is being deployed to develop the center.|1,7,2,5,red,2,5,4,4,green,4,4,3,2,blue|

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