Pillsbury's mate
Pillsbury's mate is a checkmate in which a rook checks along the g-file while a bishop on the long diagonal covers g7 and h8, leaving a king on g8 hemmed in by its own pieces.
Two pieces cooperate here. The rook delivers check from the g-file, and a bishop placed on the long diagonal, usually on b2, covers g7 and h8 so the king cannot step into either corner square. The defender's own pawns on f7 and h7 and a piece on f8 shut the remaining doors.
Such a setup often appears after a fianchetto bishop on b2 has been aimed at the kingside, and the rook has come across the third rank. The central requirement is a clear long diagonal, so any piece that stands on c3, d4, e5 or f6 spoils it. The rook must also arrive with check on a file where no defender can interpose.
When you attack, look for the moment the defender's pieces choke their own king and then check which rook lift lands on the g-file. When you defend, break the diagonal by placing a piece on it, or give the king air by pushing a pawn so that it is not boxed in.
A frequent slip is to overlook an interposition: a rook check along an open file can be blocked by a piece reaching the file, so confirm that nothing of the defender's can step in before you play it.
A neighboring idea is Morphy's mate. Morphy's mate is a checkmate against a king in the corner in which a bishop gives check along the long diagonal while a rook controls the neighboring file, and the king's own pawn blocks the last flight square.
Compare it with Back rank mate. A back rank mate is a checkmate on a player's first or eighth rank, typically by a rook or queen, delivered when the king's own pawns leave it no square to step to.
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Related terms
A back rank mate is a checkmate on a player's first or eighth rank, typically by a rook or queen, delivered when the king's own pawns leave it no square to step to.
A mating attack is a sustained assault on the enemy king, usually built from several pieces and often with sacrifices, whose aim is checkmate rather than winning material.
A mating net is a setup in which the enemy king is surrounded by attackers and its own pieces so tightly that checkmate cannot be avoided, even if the final blow is a move or two away.
A battery is two of your pieces lined up on one file, rank or diagonal, with the rear piece backing up the front one so that both press on the same target.
Morphy's mate is a checkmate against a king in the corner in which a bishop gives check along the long diagonal while a rook controls the neighboring file, and the king's own pawn blocks the last flight square.
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