A smothered mate in chess is a checkmate pattern that occurs when the opposing king is trapped by its own pieces and unable to move while being attacked by a knight. The knight is typically the piece delivering the final blow, but it is the immobilization of the king by its own pieces that makes this checkmate pattern unique.
In a smothered mate, the opponent's king is often surrounded by its own pawns or pieces, leaving it with no escape squares. The knight then moves to a square adjacent to the king, putting it in check and simultaneously covering all of the remaining squares around the king. Since the king is unable to move or be defended by its own pieces, it is considered to be "smothered" and the game is over.
Smothered mates are relatively rare in actual games, but they are a common and important tactical motif to be aware of, especially in endgame scenarios.
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