This mating pattern is called Pillsbury's Mate because it was famously used by American chess player Harry Nelson Pillsbury in the late 19th century. Pillsbury was an avid cigar smoker, hence the icon on the card above.
The pattern involves a Bishop and a Rook attacking a weakened castled position. The Bishop controls the long diagonal, and the Rook delivers mate from afar using an open file. Unlike in Morphy's Mate, here it is the Rook that delivers mate, while the Bishop prevents the escape of the King. In the simplified example shown in the diagram above, White uses the pattern and wins with 1.Rg1#.
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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 Pillsbury'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 inexpensive book by Torsten B. Mattsson is a little gem. Aimed at beginners, it presents 60 different patterns in a unique and smart way: bare pattern > mate in one > mate in two.
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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