A hook mate is a checkmate made by a rook, a knight and a pawn working together, with one of the enemy king's own pawns blocking an escape. The rook gives the check and is protected by the knight, and the knight is protected by the pawn, which also covers one of the king's escape squares.
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Hook mate at a glance
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A rook (check), protected by a knight, protected by a pawn
The king
Blocked by one of its own pawns
Classic picture
Black king e7 and pawn f7, White rook e8, knight f6 and pawn e5
A chain of three pieces: the rook gives the check, the knight protects the rook, and the pawn protects the knight.
The pawn also takes away one of the king's escape squares.
The king's own pawn blocks another square, so the king has nowhere left to go.
The classic picture: Black king on e7, Black pawn on f7, White rook on e8, knight on f6 and pawn on e5.
Worked example from the daily puzzles
Each position comes from a real game in the open Lichess puzzle database and is checked before it is published. Set it up, look for the pattern, and only then read the solution.
Daily Chess Puzzle #28: White to play (rated 763)
White to play. Black has just played rook takes on f8. It wins a queen, or so it seems. The black king on g8 is short of squares. Can you find the checkmate?
Rook takes on f8, check. The king cannot go to f7, because our rook on f8 controls that square. Black's only move is king to h7. Rook to h8, checkmate.
Breaking the chain. If the pawn or the knight is not protected, the king or a defender can capture it.
Forgetting the squares the pawn covers. Check each escape square against the rook, knight and pawn.
Defending: allowing an enemy pawn to reach the square that supports a knight next to the king.
Hook mate FAQ
What is a hook mate?
A checkmate made with a rook, a knight and a pawn, in which an enemy pawn blocks the king's escape. The rook is protected by the knight, the knight is protected by the pawn, and the pawn also attacks one of the king's escape squares.
How can I practise a hook mate?
Work through the puzzles on this page, then try the daily puzzles linked below. RankUp Chess, an offline chess academy for kids, has a library of 6,000+ puzzles you can filter by difficulty and theme. It is free to play, with no ads and no subscription.
Related checkmate patterns
Arabian mate: A rook and a knight trap the king in a corner.
Anastasia's mate: A knight and a rook trap the king between the edge of the board and its own piece.
RankUp Chess is an offline chess academy for kids: 6,000+ puzzles, 10 AI levels and lessons. Free to play forever, one payment unlocks it all. No ads, no subscription.
RankUp Chess. No ads, no subscription and it works offline.
