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Hook Mate Examples
Compiled by Baby Hawk
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ChessTempo.com calls both of these as Vukovic Checkmates.

This game collection was gathered by ChessCoachClark. He also wrote the following notes:

Vladimir Vukovic showed two versions of a particular kind of Knight and Rook checkmate pattern in his book, THE ART OF ATTACK IN CHESS, Chapter 4: Mating Patterns, under "Typical Mates with Enemy Pieces," page 72. It was not labelled with a name there, but several chess writers have identified it as the Hook Mate. IM Vukovic declares it to be "a typical mating pattern well worth remembering." I have managed to use it in OTB play and like to introduce it to students as well.

One version of the Hook Mate, which I think of as a slash/swoosh, as given by IM Vukovic, is as follows:


click for larger view

I use the code <SW> for this version of the Hook Mate.

Here is the other version, which seems to resemble a sickle or question mark (without the dot at the bottom), as provided by IM Vukovic:


click for larger view

I use the code <QM> for this version of the Hook Mate.

Note that the Pawn could be on either diagonal "behind" the Knight (away from the opposing King). This point is significant because the SW and QM versions differ only by the positioning of this Pawn.

The code <IV> is for Interesting Variations, those games which do not fit either of those previous types. Most often, a chess piece (not a Pawn) protects the Rook, even from a distance.

This Hook Mate game collection only has games with the defending King and the attacking Rook in the same file, i.e., a vertical orientation. Of course, this mate could occur with King and Rook in the same rank-- horizontal configuration. For example, check out this game, if you can:

Rouse, Philip vs Henke, Simon
Corr. 2001 23 moves 1-0

CG just doesn't have it in their database, yet.

Also, there is a game between two girls in the semi-finals of the Ukrainian championship for U14 that ends with the Hook Mate in the horizontal orientation. Again, it is not yet a part of the CG database:

Poshivaylo, K. vs Breslavskaya, Galina
Lvov, Ukraine 1999 32 moves 0-1 <SW>

QM-- Classic example of the Hook Mate
Marshall vs W E Napier, 1898 
(D08) Queen's Gambit Declined, Albin Counter Gambit, 52 moves, 1-0

IV Hook Mate if continuation: 36. ... Rf6 37. Rh8+ Kf7 38. Rf8#
Janowski vs Schlechter, 1899 
(C78) Ruy Lopez, 36 moves, 1-0

IV Continuation: 34. Kxg1 Rf1+ 35. Kh2 Rh1#
Kholmov vs W Pietzsch, 1965 
(C05) French, Tarrasch, 33 moves, 0-1

Hook Mate near the Center
Savon vs Polugaevsky, 1971 
(B84) Sicilian, Scheveningen, 35 moves, 1-0

IV Hook Mate neither in the corner nor at the edge of the board
Van der Sterren vs Ljubojevic, 1987 
(E15) Queen's Indian, 37 moves, 1-0

QM Hook Mate Pending (mate in 8 by Stockfish)
V Kovacevic vs Z Kozul, 1993 
(D94) Grunfeld, 34 moves, 0-1

QM Two protectors for supporting Knight
D Pavasovic vs T Fogarasi, 1994 
(B40) Sicilian, 37 moves, 0-1

SW Alternate 46. Nfg6+ Kh7 47. Rh8# Hook Mate with N support
Seirawan vs L Christiansen, 1997 
(C41) Philidor Defense, 55 moves, 1-0

QM Continuation for Hook Mate toward the Center
R Rubenchik vs M Ashley, 2000 
(A30) English, Symmetrical, 30 moves, 0-1

SW Common version of the Hook Mate
E Amigues vs K Georgiev, 2002 
(E92) King's Indian, 37 moves, 1-0

SW White King supports the Knight
S Williams vs J Critelli, 2003
(A16) English, 46 moves, 1-0

QM Classic example of Hook Mate
G Danner vs J Fletcher, 2005 
(D51) Queen's Gambit Declined, 27 moves, 1-0

SW Continuation 41. Re3 Rf1# results in a Hook Mate
Kazhgaleyev vs J Polgar, 2007 
(E71) King's Indian, Makagonov System (5.h3), 40 moves, 0-1

SW + QM Three continuations for Hook Mate; one by the Queen!
Nepomniachtchi vs I Salgado Lopez, 2008 
(C11) French, 45 moves, 1-0

QM Mate in corner continuation: 57. Kh2 Ng3 58. Bd2 Rh1#
Svidler vs Gelfand, 2009 
(A28) English, 56 moves, 0-1

IV Distant Rook protects the Knight
P Cramling vs J Hector, 2010 
(D17) Queen's Gambit Declined Slav, 54 moves, 0-1

IV Distant Bishop protects the Knight
T Goutali vs O Lima, 2010 
(B06) Robatsch, 17 moves, 1-0

TACTIC 36...Bxf8 37 Ng5+ Kg8 Royal Fork wins Queen for free!
Navara vs M Goodger, 2012 
(A81) Dutch, 36 moves, 1-0

QM If 40. ... Bxg7 41. Rxg7+ Rg6 42. Rxg6# (IV at actual end)
Ivanchuk vs Aronian, 2013 
(A36) English, 40 moves, 1-0

19 games

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