Mating patterns
Smothered mate
Updated
A knight delivers mate to a king boxed in by its own pieces.
The smothered mate is served in the gym at every level and named in your scan when you miss one. Its journey, a lesson, a drill and a test, is being written.
Play it
Real puzzles from real games, rated 1176 to 1264. No account needed.
Black to play.
White to play.
Black to play.
Every motif page is free, and so is the first section of every journey. See what the lifetime unlock adds.
How many smothered mates did you miss last month?
Add your Lichess or Chess.com username and the scan reads your games: every one you walked past becomes a puzzle from your own game, named, until you fix it.