FoxyChess › Checkmates › Kill Box Mate
Kill Box Mate
A rook checks the king from the square beside it while the queen, standing diagonally behind the rook, protects it and covers the remaining squares. Together they build a 3×3 'box' the king can't leave.
How to spot it
With a queen and rook near the enemy king, look for a rook check that the queen can protect along a diagonal.
How it arises
The queen and a rook arrive near a king on the edge, often after the defenders have been exchanged. The rook checks from the square next to the king while the queen protects it diagonally.
A worked example
1.Rd8#. The queen on c7 protects the rook and covers d7, e7 and f7, so the king is boxed in.
How to defend against it
A queen and rook working together near your king need only one open file. Keep the king off the edge when the enemy queen is close, and keep a piece ready to block the file.
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