The hook mate is checkmate by a rook defended by a knight, which is itself defended by a pawn, with the king's own pawns blocking its last squares.
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Each piece guards the one that gives the mate. Take away the pawn or the knight and the chain breaks, so check every link before the rook lands.
How to do it
- 1Find an enemy king boxed in by its own pawns.
- 2Post a knight that guards the checking square and an escape square, with a pawn behind it.
- 3Give the rook check on the square the knight guards.
For your level
Count the chain before you check: the knight guards the rook, and a pawn guards the knight.
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
- Checking before the knight is in place, so the king takes the rook.
- Leaving the knight unguarded, so a defender can take it.
Questions
- How is the hook mate different from the Arabian mate?
- Both use a rook defended by a knight. In the Arabian mate the king is in the corner and the knight needs no support. In the hook mate a pawn guards the knight as well.