The most common form of smothered mate is seen in the diagram to the right.

Occasionally, a smothered mate may be possible in the opening of a game.

"Then you should recognize an opening for smothered mate.

The smothered mate (later named Philidor's legacy) is in the book.

Smothered mate is a common method of checkmating.

Philidor's Legacy refers to a smothered mate involving a queen sacrifice.

Among his games/constructions were the first smothered mate:

Smothered mate - A checkmate accomplished by only a knight because the king's own pieces occupy squares to which it would be able to escape.

It's a smothered mate in three."

Smothered Mate.

(Such a check is an inherent part of the type of smothered mate known as Philidor's legacy.)

Smothered mate - checkmate delivered by a knight in which the mated king is unable to move because he is surrounded (or smothered) by his own pieces.

Destruction Of A Guard All In Together Now Opening Unprotected Pieces Smothered Mate Street Corners (Remix)

The f-pawns are also not defended in the opening array, and in fact smothered mate would result if it were captured by a knight, although this possibility would rarely occur in practical play.

These include Fool's mate, Scholar's mate, smothered mate, the back rank checkmate, Boden's mate, Epaulette mate, and Légal's mate.

An example of a similar smothered mate in master-level play is the game between Edward Lasker (White) and Israel Horowitz (Black) in New York City, 1946, which went: 1.

Having forced the rook out of a position where it was defending the f-file and into a position where it blocked the king from making any move, the black knight delivers a smothered mate by 23.

For a smothered mate of this sort to occur in a game, it is usually necessary to sacrifice material to compel pieces to smother the king - a player is unlikely to voluntarily surround his king with pieces in a position where a smothered mate is possible.