This mating pattern is called Lolli's Mate because it was first documented by Italian chess player Giambattista Lolli in the 18th century. The surname Lolli has probably its roots in a word meaning "darnel" or "weed", hence the icon on the card representing unwanted plants growing among crops.
The pattern involves a pawn and a Queen attacking a weakened castled position. The Queen, protected by the pawn, delivers mate from the square right in front of the opponent's King. In the simplified example shown in the diagram above, White uses the pattern and wins with 1.Qg7#.
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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 Lolli's 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.
This video by MicheChess is the third in a very nice series about mating patterns. Have a look at it and see Lolli’s Mate in the context of several other patterns.
This is the 4th lesson of a great series prepared by IM Danny Rensch for Chess.com on Tactics and Mating Nets. Lolli’s mate appears here, among other mating patterns. Have fun.
Don’t miss 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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