Chess Patterns ❯ Checkmate Patterns | Mates by the Touch of a Minor Piece ❯ Double Knight Mate

Double Knight Mate

This mating pattern is called Double Knight Mate because the opponent's King typically gets checkmated by the coordinated effort of two Knights.

The pattern involves two Knights attacking a King that is either near a corner of the board or heavily obstructed by its own pieces. The first Knight gives an initial check that pushes the King into a confined area, and the second Knight delivers the final blow. In the simplified example shown in the diagram above, White uses the pattern and wins with 1.Ne7+ Kh8 and 2.Nxf7#.

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Master the Double Knight Mate

When we started adding a playful touch to chess learning, we looked through thousands of videos and hundreds of books to find the best resources out there. Here's our curated selection of the best content we encountered on the Double Knight Mate. We also included some smaller creators who are growing fast and we believe deserve your attention. Check out these resources if you want to master this checkmate pattern.

How To Checkmate With 2 Knights?
Watch this YouTube short by Remote Chess Academy to get a fast-paced intro about when and how you can checkmate your opponent with just 2 Knights.

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Troitsky Line - Mating With Two Knights (Endgame Masterclass)
This is a very good in-depth explanation of the Two-Knights mating pattern by the GM Talks
YouTube channel. Don’t miss it.

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Winning With Two Knights: Must Know Endgames*
If you want an extensive lesson on all the nuances of this very particular type of checkmate, go for this chess.com lesson by GM Alexandra Kosteniuk. And do the interactive challenges, too.

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How to Beat Your Dad at Chess*
Regardless of your age, this book by Murray Chandler is a fun and efficient way to learn all the most important checkmate patterns, including the Double Knight Mate. Highly recommended.

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Fundamental Checkmates*
Don’t skip this wonderful book. Antonio Gude has done MASSIVE work, and this introduction to mating patterns is probably the most complete one out there. Plus, it’s a pleasure to read.

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