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A Rare Smothered Mate

Standard memberwatchyourbackrank
Only Chess 12 Aug '10 20:02
  1. w
    Standard memberwatchyourbackrank
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    12 Aug '10 20:021 edit
    I reached this positon in a recent game



    having just given the check on f7 I was waiting in anticipation for Kg8 allowing me a beautiful and rare smothered mate Ne7#

    Unfortunately my opponent resigned instead of moving Kg8 (or the rather boring Rxf7)
  2. Standard memberno1marauder
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    12 Aug '10 20:10
    Originally posted by watchyourbackrank
    I reached this positon in a recent game

    [fen]rnb2r1k/2qp1Npp/p4p2/2p2N2/4Pp2/1B1P4/PPP2PPP/R2Q1RK1 b - - 2 15[/fen]

    having just given the check on f7 I was waiting in anticipation for Kg8 allowing me a beautiful and rare smothered mate Ne7#

    Unfortunately my opponent resigned instead of moving Kg8 (or the rather boring Rxf7)
    Sorry; it's not a smothered mate unless the Rook (or other piece) is on g8 (or g1) and the King is on h8 (or h1).
  3. w
    Standard memberwatchyourbackrank
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    12 Aug '10 20:22
    Originally posted by no1marauder
    Sorry; it's not a smothered mate unless the Rook (or other piece) is on g8 (or g1) and the King is on h8 (or h1).
    I see. Thought it was smothered because the rook on f8 is blocking the king's escape route
  4. s
    Subscribersonhouse
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    12 Aug '10 20:22
    Originally posted by no1marauder
    Sorry; it's not a smothered mate unless the Rook (or other piece) is on g8 (or g1) and the King is on h8 (or h1).
    Not a technical smothered mate but nice one anyway.
  5. t
    Standard membertoeternitoe
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    12 Aug '10 20:28
    Originally posted by no1marauder
    Sorry; it's not a smothered mate unless the Rook (or other piece) is on g8 (or g1) and the King is on h8 (or h1).
    Not really,that is just the most well known smothered mate.But that's not the only pattern.

    Definition from the art of the checkmate:
    "A smothered mate is one in which the king is deprived of all its flight squares by its own pieces or pawns.It is delivered by a knight"

    Below positions are all smothered mates:






    toet.
  6. a
    Standard memberavalanchethecat
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    12 Aug '10 20:43
    Originally posted by watchyourbackrank
    I reached this positon in a recent game

    [fen]rnb2r1k/2qp1Npp/p4p2/2p2N2/4Pp2/1B1P4/PPP2PPP/R2Q1RK1 b - - 2 15[/fen]

    having just given the check on f7 I was waiting in anticipation for Kg8 allowing me a beautiful and rare smothered mate Ne7#

    Unfortunately my opponent resigned instead of moving Kg8 (or the rather boring Rxf7)
    What happens if he does do RxF7?
  7. F
    Standard memberFolderer
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    12 Aug '10 20:44
    Isn't it annoying when your opponent resigns instead of allowing you to give a pretty mate?

    When it's an ugly mate, I don't mind so much.
  8. H
    Standard memberHabeascorp
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    12 Aug '10 20:51
    I agree. Actually if a forced mate arises I do let me opponent play it ugly or not. I normally resign based on material/position but do feel it is rude not to allow an opponent to have his mate if you have taken him that far.
  9. S
    Standard memberSwissGambit
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    12 Aug '10 20:531 edit
    Originally posted by watchyourbackrank
    Unfortunately my opponent resigned....
    😵

    Well, he COULD have made you play out the 'boring' line...
  10. Subscribergreenpawn34
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    12 Aug '10 21:431 edit
    There have been over 7,700 Knight mate in the 1400 DB,

    A lot have come from the Shilling Gambit trap.

    This is one of the longest games I could find with a pure smothered mate.

    Russ(!) Gordon v Joe Kelly. RHP 2010

    These two have played each over 40 times, this was one of the few that
    ended in a mate.

    For the record.

    7,260+ Bishop Mates
    83,020+ Queen Mates
    37,950 + Rook Mates
    6,077 + Pawn mates
    60+ King mates (either by castling or moving giving a discovered checkmate).

    Invert BoardPGNHeaders


    this is one of the shortest.

    mushypeas - hnjm. RHP 2009


    Invert BoardPGNHeaders
  11. Standard memberno1marauder
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    13 Aug '10 10:481 edit
    Originally posted by toeternitoe
    Not really,that is just the most well known smothered mate.But that's not the only pattern.

    Definition from the art of the checkmate:
    "A smothered mate is one in which the king is deprived of all its flight squares by its own pieces or pawns.It is delivered by a knight"

    Below positions are all smothered mates:
    [fen]5nkr/4Nppp/8/8/8/8/8/4K3 b - - ...[text shortened]... [/fen]

    [fen]r2qkb1r/pp1npppp/2pN1n2/5bN1/8/8/PPPPQPPP/R1B1KB1R b KQkq - 0 6[/fen]

    toet.
    😳

    I stand corrected. I should have known that as I play the Budapest and there is a common smothered mate trap in it. 1 d4 Nf6 2 c4 e5 3 dxe5 Ng4 4Bf4 Bb4+ 5 Nd2 Nc6 6 Nf3 Qe7 7 a3 Ngxe5 8 axb4 Nd3 Mate.

    EDIT: I've had a smothered mate here: http://www.redhotpawn.com/gameanalysis/boardhistory.php?gameid=1267780
  12. w
    Standard memberwatchyourbackrank
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    13 Aug '10 18:38
    still the possible mate in my game is not to be considered a smothered mate because one of the flight squares was controlled by my piece.
  13. t
    Standard membertoeternitoe
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    13 Aug '10 18:44
    Originally posted by watchyourbackrank
    still the possible mate in my game is not to be considered a smothered mate because one of the flight squares was controlled by my piece.
    2 actually,f7 and h8.So no,not a 100% smothered mate.

    a very nice one nonetheless

    toet.
  14. w
    Standard memberwatchyourbackrank
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    13 Aug '10 18:55
    yeah, two squares
  15. M
    Standard memberMephisto2
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    13 Aug '10 19:43
    Originally posted by toeternitoe
    Definition from the art of the checkmate:
    "A smothered mate is one in which the king is deprived of all its flight squares by its own pieces or pawns.It is delivered by a knight"
    That's a narrow defintion in my opinion. The following looks to me like smothered mate as well

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