The Arabian mate is checkmate by a rook and a knight against a king in the corner. The rook checks from the next square, and the knight defends it and covers another square.
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On its own the rook would be captured. The knight defends it and covers the other escape square, so two pieces are enough.
How to do it
- 1Put a knight on f6 against a king on h8.
- 2Check that the knight covers g8 and defends h7.
- 3Bring the rook to h7.
For your level
Knight on f6, rook on h7, king on h8: that is mate. Remember the shape.
Check you have it
Question 1 of 3
White to play. There is a checkmate in one move — find it.
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Play your move on the board.
Question 2 of 3
Play the moves through. What has happened to the king?
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Question 3 of 3
After the last move, how many legal moves does the mated side have?
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Common mistakes
- Bringing the rook to h7 when the knight does not defend it.
- Leaving g8 uncovered, so the king steps out.
Questions
- Does the Arabian mate work with a queen instead of a rook?
- A queen on h7 with the knight on f6 is also mate, but a queen can often mate without the knight's help. The Arabian mate is the rook version, where the knight is needed.