Tactics · Learn

The Corner Mate

The corner mate (Grecos-style) uses a knight to deliver mate to a cornered king while a rook or queen seals the back rank and the king's own pieces block the flights. The knight strikes the one square nothing defends.

How to spot it: with the enemy king in the very corner and hemmed by its pawns, look for a knight leap that checks with no escape, backed by a rook controlling the escape file.

Now spot it yourself

A real position: find the move. This is exactly what the drills in the app do, banded from beginner to expert.

How this lesson is made: this public explanation comes from the authored Strong Squares curriculum. Automated checks protect its chess data, source fields and learning flow. Independent chess-editor approval remains part of the private-preview release process. Read the teaching method.