For a game such as this, does this technically count as a smothered mate, or does a "smothered mate" require the king to be fully smothered? Really just wondering whether the one open square that's guarded makes it not a smothered mate. (Solving argument)
Quick technical question
Sort:
protanly
Oct 18, 2016
0
#1
Oct 18, 2016
0
#2
I would still consider it as smothered, all of his pieces are smothering him.
Oct 18, 2016
0
#4
I'm pretty sure the king must be *completely* surrounded by his own units to qualify as "smothered," though I haven't found a definition that confirms this. Otherwise it's just a "corridor mate" where there exist open squares around the king but squares that are covered instead of blocked. All examples I've seen in books of smothered mates show the king completely surrounded by his own units (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smothered_mate).
Somebody recently posted an example of a supposed smothered mate in the Game Showcase forum here that was only a corridor mate, so I can see why you're asking that question now.