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Rating 1035White to move. Mate in one.
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White to move. Mate in one.
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Smothered mate puzzles
A smothered mate is a knight checkmate against a king that is surrounded by its own pieces and has no square to move to.
- 4,806 puzzles
- Average rating 1058
How to spot a smothered mate
- The knight cannot be blockedA knight check can only be answered by moving the king or capturing the knight.
- Force the pieces closerA queen sacrifice next to the king often makes a rook recapture and take the last free square.
- Watch the cornerMost smothered mates happen with the king in the corner behind its own pawns.