Checkmate patterns
Arabian mate
A rook and knight corner the king — one of the oldest mates known.
What is the arabian mate?
In the Arabian mate a rook and a knight combine to trap a king in the corner. The knight guards the two squares next to the king, the rook gives check from alongside, and the corner does the rest.
Why the arabian mate matters
It is one of the oldest recorded mating patterns — older than the modern queen — and it still appears in real endgames where a rook and knight gang up on a cornered king. It also shows how little material you actually need to finish a game.
How to use it to win
Picture the black king on h8. A knight on f7 covers h8's neighbours, and a rook on the h-file or seventh rank lands the check. Knight and rook protect each other, so the king cannot capture its way out.
Try an example puzzle
A real arabian mate puzzle from the app. Black to move — find the idea, then reveal the line.
3 
6 a 8 Show solution
1. ... Rxh2#
Drill the arabian mate on thousands of real puzzles, matched to your rating.