C&C Chess Club
The h7 mate — the classic strike
5rk1/5ppp/8/6N1/8/3Q4/8/6K1 w - - 0 1The plan
The castled king stands behind three of its own pawns, and those very pawns become its undoing. Two things have to come together: the queen reaches the square in front of the king, and a second piece DEFENDS her there. Here the knight defends the point of impact — which is why the king is not allowed to capture the queen. It cannot go back, the queen herself holds the square next to that, and to the side its own rook blocks the way. The rule of thumb: a knight defending the point of impact turns a mere check into a mate. Remember: queen plus defence equals mate — the queen alone is only a check.
Why this level: The first mating pattern every beginner has to know; one move, but the condition 'defended' is the real lesson.
The solution, move by move
- 1. Qxh7# The queen strikes in front of the king. The knight defends her, so capturing is not allowed — and every other square is blocked by the king's own pawn shield and by its own rook.
Play it yourself
In the free app C&C Chess Club you step through the line move by move, tap the sidelines and play the position out against Stockfish — no account, no ads.
More in Mate with the queen
- Damiano's mate — the pawn carries the queen Mate in 1
- Epaulette mate — crushed by its own rooks Mate in 1