Smothered mate is lesson 3 of 9 in Mating patterns I, a checkmate course suited to players rated around 700 (beginners). The king is boxed in by its own pieces, and a single knight check is mate. Often a queen sacrifice forces the last blocker into place. It has 7 interactive exercises: 7 calculated lines from real positions. You play every move on a board and get feedback straight away. The lesson is free.
What you practise
White to move: mate in one. (2 positions)
White to move: mate in 2. (3 positions)
Black to move: mate in 2. (2 positions)
Worked examples
White to move: mate in one. 1.Nd6#. The knight mated on d6: the king was smothered by its own pieces. Checkmate.
White to move: mate in 2. 1.Rxf8+ Bg8 2.Nf7#. The knight mated on f7: the king was smothered by its own pieces. Mate in 2.
chessGM