ChessAn epaulette mate is when the squares on both sides of the king are taken by its own pieces (most often its two rooks), and the enemy queen gives check from straight ahead, leaving the king nowhere to go. The two rooks on either side look like the two epaulettes on a military uniform's shoulders, hence the name. It happens most often when the king can no longer castle and the two rooks have been placed right next to it. When you play an online chess game and see the enemy king squeezed between its own rooks, think of this one.
The pattern
The black king is on e8. The squares around it:
- d8, f8: its own two rooks, the two "epaulettes."
- d7, e7, f7: all controlled by the white queen on e6.
The queen on e6 is one square away from the king, so the king can't take her. The black rooks move only along ranks and files, so they can't block on e7 either. One queen seals off all three squares in front of the king, and the squares at the sides are blocked by the king's own pieces.
How it happens in real games
In real games e6 is often guarded by a black piece or protected by a pawn. Then you can trade off the piece guarding e6 with a rook first, luring the pawn away:
Step by step:
- The white rook takes the knight on e6 with check. The black king can't go to e7 (the rook is on the e-file) or d7 (controlled by the white knight on c5), so the f-pawn has to take the rook.
- Once the f-pawn leaves f7, that square is empty, and the protection in front of the king is gone.
- The white queen takes on e6 with check: d7, e7 and f7 are all controlled by the queen, and d8 and f8 hold Black's own rooks. Checkmate.
White gives up a rook and wins the game.
How to avoid it
- Don't put both rooks right next to your king. When your king can't castle, keep at least one side free.
- Don't let the pawns in front of your king wander off. As soon as the f7 pawn above was lured away, the queen could get in.
- Watch the square two in front of your king (e6 for Black, e3 for White). If the enemy queen can stand there without being taken, you're in danger.
- Castle early. After castling, the king and rooks naturally separate, so the king is much less likely to get boxed in by its own pieces.
Practice puzzles
Show answer
1. Qe6# The queen goes along the diagonal to e6 with check. d7, e7 and f7 are all covered, and d8 and f8 hold Black's own rooks. Checkmate.
Show answer
1. Qxe7# The queen takes the pawn on e7 with check, protected by the knight on d5, so the king can't take her. d7 and f7 are covered by the queen, and d8 and f8 hold Black's own rooks. Checkmate. In an epaulette mate the queen can also stand right next to the king, as long as she's protected.
Show answer
1... Qe3# The black queen goes to e3 with check. d2, e2 and f2 are all covered by the queen, d1 and f1 hold White's own rooks, and White can't block on e2. Checkmate.
FAQ
Does an epaulette mate need two rooks?
No. Any time the squares on both sides of the king are taken by its own pieces, it counts. Two rooks are the most common, but sometimes it's a queen, bishop or knight.
Why is it called an epaulette mate?
The rooks on either side of the king look like the two epaulettes on the shoulders of a military uniform.
When does an epaulette mate usually happen?
When the king has lost the right to castle and is still in the middle, and the two rooks have moved next to it. For example, the king steps aside once after a check, and later the rooks slide in next to it. That easily turns into this shape.
Try it yourself
The epaulette mate teaches you that your own pieces can turn into your king's prison cell. Go back to checkmate patterns for the back-rank mate and smothered mate, which are also about being "blocked by your own side," or review the castling rules. When you're ready, play free online chess, and remember to castle early so your king and rooks part ways.