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

Pawn Mate

This mating pattern is called Pawn Mate because the final blow to the enemy King is delivered by a pawn. It is also known as the David and Goliath Mate because it evokes the biblical story of David and Goliath, where David, the underdog, defeats the much stronger opponent, Goliath.

The pattern involves a pawn that, protected by another piece, delivers mate from a square adjacent to the opponent's King. The King's mobility is usually restricted by its own pieces. In the simplified example shown in the diagram above, White uses the pattern and wins with 1.h4#.

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Master the Pawn 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 Pawn 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.

I Got EVERY Checkmate Possible...
Giving checkmate with a pawn is a rarity. Follow Croissant fun and instructive YouTube channel in his quest to achieve all Chess.com “killer” badges.

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When Pawn Checkmates
Have fun with this fast-paced and entertaining video by Chessscape. An incredible pawn checkmate awaits you at the end.

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This Pawn Checkmate Is GANGSTA! "Spicy" Stony vs. Chedi Knight Brian
A pawn mate in the middle of a chessboard at the seaside? Have a look at this short but fun game on Coffee Chess.

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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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Chess: 5334 Problems, Combinations and Games*
This book by legendary László Polgár is massive. It has more than 5000 exercises. Working through it you can develop the intuitive expertise that great players possess. For serious players of all levels.

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