FoxyChess › Checkmates › Smothered Mate
Smothered Mate
A knight mates a king that is completely surrounded by its own pieces, so it is 'smothered'. It often follows a queen sacrifice that forces a rook next to the king (Philidor's Legacy).
How to spot it
A king in the corner surrounded by its own pieces is vulnerable to any knight check. Look for a queen check that forces the rook to block, then mate with the knight.
How it arises
The classic version, Philidor's legacy, starts with a knight check, a double check that drives the king into the corner, then a queen sacrifice on g8 that forces the rook to block its own king. The knight returns to f7 and it's mate.
A worked example
1.Nf7+ Kg8 2.Nh6+ Kh8 (2…Kf8 3.Qf7#) 3.Qg8+!! Rxg8 4.Nf7#. The king is smothered by its own rook and pawns.
How to defend against it
A king in the corner surrounded by its own pieces is vulnerable to any knight check. Keep the f7 and f2 squares covered, and don't let an enemy queen and knight both get close.
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