Swallow's tail mate is checkmate by a defended queen on the square directly in front of the king, while the king's own pieces block its other escape squares.
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
Start0/3
The queen covers every free square the king could reach, and the king cannot take it because it is defended. The king's own pieces do the rest.
How to do it
- 1Look for an enemy king with its own pieces on the squares beside it.
- 2Defend the square directly in front of the king.
- 3Put the queen there with check.
For your level
A defended queen next to the enemy king is mate when the king's own pieces block its other squares. Look at what the king is standing next to.
Check you have it
Pitch it for:
Question 1 of 3
Play the moves through. What has happened to the king?
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
Question 2 of 3
After the last move, how many legal moves does the mated side have?
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
Question 3 of 3
Which white pawn has no friendly pawn on either neighbouring file?
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
Common mistakes
- Checking with an undefended queen, which the king takes.
- Missing an enemy piece that can capture the queen from a distance.
Questions
- Is the swallow's tail the same as the guéridon mate?
- Yes. Both names describe a defended queen mating from directly in front of the king while the king's own pieces block its other squares.