Arabian Mate

A knight and a rook coordinate to checkmate the king in the corner of the board — one of the oldest named patterns in chess.

A knight and a rook coordinate to checkmate the king in the corner. The rook delivers the mate while sitting directly next to the king, and the knight protects the rook while also blocking the king's only diagonal escape square.

Starting position

For experienced players

The Arabian Mate is one of the oldest checkmate patterns in chess history, dating back to before the modern movement rules for the queen and bishop were established, when the rook and knight were the most powerful pieces.