Back rank mate
Stockfish 16.1 · runs in your browserPlay Re8#, then drag Black's king from g8 to f8. The rook controls f8, so the board refuses the escape.
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Best move
A back rank mate uses a rook or queen to check a king trapped on its home rank. In this example Black's own pawns block the seventh rank while White's rook controls the eighth.
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A back-rank mate attacks a king along its home rank with a rook or queen. In the board here, Black's king is on g8 and its own pawns are on f7, g7 and h7. Those pawns keep the king from stepping forward. White's rook can reach e8 along an open file. Play Re8# and trace the rook's attack along e8, f8 and g8. Black cannot capture the rook, block the line or move its king to a safe square in this exact position.
After the rook checks, try dragging Black's king from g8 to f8. The board refuses it because the rook attacks f8. The pawns on the seventh rank block the forward exits, but a pawn wall by itself is not a mate. The checking rook must have a clear line, and every legal defense must fail. A defending rook or queen on the back rank could change the answer; the simplified board removes those complications so the pattern is visible.
Before your opponent's rook reaches your home rank, inspect whether your king has a flight square. In some positions a move such as h6 gives the king h7 later; in others it weakens the king or is too slow, so check the concrete board. You can also keep a rook guarding the rank or stop the attacking rook's entry. As an attacker, look for a pawn wall and a clear line, then verify the defender's replies before calling a move mate.
Rules and examples
FIDE Laws of Chess, Article 5.1.1, defines mate; Wikipedia describes the back-rank pattern.
Rules: FIDE Laws of Chess, effective 1 January 2023. https://handbook.fide.com/chapter/E012023
Rule replay: python-chess 1.11.2 (GPL-3.0-or-later). The shared browser engine retains its Stockfish GPL-3.0 notice. No engine score is claimed by these demonstrations.
Read the rulesA move on the board
6k1/5ppp/8/8/8/8/8/K3R3 w - - 0 1
4R1k1/5ppp/8/8/8/8/8/K7 b - - 1 1
- Re8#The rook controls the eighth rank; Black's pawns block the king's exits.
The rook controls the eighth rank; Black's pawns block the king's exits.
Original teaching example replayed with python-chess 1.11.2, 2026-10-23.
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