What is Arabian Mate?

Arabian Mate

Rook and knight deliver checkmate with the knight controlling escape squares.

The Arabian Mate is a classic checkmate pattern in the game of chess that involves a knight and a rook, working together to trap the opponent's king at the corner of the board.

Rook and knight deliver mate

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The knight is placed in a position where it is able to cover two escape squares of the cornered king.

The rook is placed on an adjacent square where it attacks the opponent's king laterally. Because of the protection provided by the knight, the rook, despite being next to the enemy king, cannot be captured.

This pattern is known as the Arabian Mate because it reflects the historic value of the knight (referred to as the horse in the Arab world) and the rook (potentially a reference to the war chariots used in Arab conquests) in Arabian warfare.

Checkmate Patterns : Arabian Mate Explained

Arabian Mate

Rook and knight deliver mate

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