FoxyChess › Checkmates › Arabian Mate
Arabian Mate
One of the oldest recorded checkmates. A rook mates the king in the corner from the square right beside it, and a knight guards the rook while also covering the one escape square the rook can't reach.
How to spot it
Whenever the enemy king is stuck in a corner, check whether a knight can protect a rook on the square next to it.
How it arises
A knight on f6 (or f3, c3, c6) stands next to the enemy king's corner, and a rook arrives on the seventh rank or the h-file. It is common in rook endings where one side still has a knight.
A worked example
1.Nf6+ Kh8 (the bishop on c5 covers f8) 2.Rh7#. The knight guards both the rook on h7 and the escape square g8.
How to defend against it
A king in the corner with a knight on f6 next to it is in danger from any rook check. Keep the seventh rank defended, or move the king to g8 before the rook arrives.
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