Various Mates

from "An easy introduction to the game of chess" 1806 (editor unknown)

OF THE VARIOUS CHECK-MATES.

In an old book on Chess, published in 1652, the following Appellations are given to the variety of Mates:

(1)  The Queen's Mate, a Gracious Mate
(2)  The Bishop's Mate, a Gentle Mate
(3)  The Knight's Mate, a Gallant Mate
(4)  The Rook's Mate, a Forcible Mate
(5)  The Pawn's Mate, a Disgraceful Mate
(6)  The Mate by Discovery, an Industrious Mate
(7)  The Smothered Mate, a Shameful Mate
(8)  The Stale Mate, a Dishonourable Mate
(9)  The Mate in the Middle, an Unfortunate Mate
(10) The Mate at two Moves, a Fool's Mate.

I'm curious if this is the origin of the term "Fool's Mate."

Willard Fiske published a more complete version in Vol. 3 of the "Chess Monthly."

It is probable that neither those of our readers who are given to chess, nor those who are given to matrimony, nor those who are in the habit of going down to the sea in ships, could describe, with such minuteness as has been done by an old English writer :

The Diversitie of Mates.

The Queens Mate, a gracious Mate.
The Bishops Mate, a gentle Mate.
The Knights Mate, a gallant Mate.
The Rookes Mate, a forcible Mate.
The Pawnes Mate, a disgraceful Mate.
The Mate by discovery, the most industrious Mate of all.
The Mate in a corner of the Field, Alexander's Mate.
The Mate in the middest of the Field, an unfortunate Mate.
The Mate on the side of the Field, a Coward's Mate.
The blinde Mate, a shamefull Mate.
The State, a dishonourable Mate.
The Mate at two Draughtes, a Fooles Mate.

This enumeration is found at the end of Chapter VIII of Saul's book.  I just finished reading it. Murray is right that the book is more curious than useful.

Only this version["The famous game of chesse-play truely discovered, and all doubts resolved; so that by reading this small booke thou shalt profit more then by the playing a thousand mates. An exercise full of delight; fit for princes, or any person of what qualitie soever. Newly published by A.S. Gent."]  read:

The diversity of Mates, and which are worthy of praise, or disspraise.

The Mate with a Queene, a loving mate.
A Mate with the Bishop, a gentle mate.
The Mate given with a Duke, a gracious mate.
A Mate with the Knight, an honourable mate.
The Mate given with a Pawne, a disgracefull mate.
A Mate by discovery, the worthiest of all.
The Mate given in a corner of the field, was Alexanders mate.
A Mate in the Midea of the field, an unfortunate  Mate.
The Mate given on the side of the field, a foolish Mate.
A blinde Mate, a shamefull mate.
The Stale, a dishonourable mate.

Does anyone know what Alexander's Mate, mate in the corner, refers to?

I take it I'm the only one who must find this at all interesting.

Here's a poem from Saul's chess book:

All you that at the famous game
  Of chesse desire to play,
Come and peruse this little booke,
   Wherein is taught the way.

The hidden slights to understand
T  hat no man yet hath shonne.
Which other authors speak not of
  And still remained unknown.

Even all things that concern this game,
  And may thee excellent make,
Therein was cause that me did move
  This paines to undertake.
        &c.   &c.    &c.

You don't like chess, yet you devote a lot of energy talking about it. THAT is somewhat interesting.

Is that relevant to this monologue?

no

batgirl:"I take it I'm the only one who must find this at all interesting."

Being a Bishop, I wanted to be a "gentle mate" and not reply with a blunt "NO".

Another quote from Saul's book:

Doe not at no time that thou playest at this game (out of a conceit as I said, that anything becomes thee well) stand singing, whistling, knocking or tinkering, whereby to disturbe the minde of thy adversary, and hinder his projects: neither keepe thou a calling on him to playe, or hastening of him thereunto, or a shewing of much dislike that hee playeth not fast enough; remembering with thyselfe, that besides that this is a silent game, when thy turne is to play, thou wilt take thy on ne leasure; and that it is the royall law so to deal with another, as thyself wouldst be dealt withall.

Olde Arthur Saul doe maketh some sense.

I didn't bother to read any of that.

No you are not the only one interested. But you are likely the only one with the resources and research skills to do justice to any of the things you present to us, including the above.

Nice research.

Alexander Alekhine vs A Popovic is an interesting mate.

1. d4d52. c4e63. Nc3c64. e4dxe45. Nxe4Be76. Nf3Nf67. Nxf6+Bxf68. Be3O-O9. Qc2Bd710. Bd3g611. h4Na612. a3Bg713. h5f514. hxg6hxg615. O-O-OBe816. Qd2b517. Ne5Bxe518. dxe5bxc419. Bb6Qd720. Qg5cxd321. Rxd3Qg722. Bd4f423. Rdh3Rf5

24. Qe7Rh525. Qxe6+Qf726. Qg4Qf527. Qxf5Rxf528. Rh8+Kf729. Bc3Ke630. Rd1Rf731. Rd6+Kf5

32. e6Rb733. Rf8+Kg434. f3+Kg335. Rd2Nc536. Re2Nd3+37. Kc2c5

38. b3c4 39. Rh8cxb3+40. Kb1Nf241. Be1[[g5??(41... Bb5)42. Rxf2Bg6+43. Rc2#]]

Is this an example of an "Alexander's mate"?

If not, we have a new form of mate which replies to a Check with Checkmate. Cute. 

Curious about the "stale" mate.

of course this is considered, now the name of a draw. 

but is it possible at this time it was considered a kind of dishonorable mate?

if so was the person who made this, the person that made this a draw. (by calling it dishonorable)?

I agree. Stalemate should have been a win for the side stalemating rather than a draw. And I really don't see how this mate is anymore dishonourable than other mates.

• 1Anastasia's mate
• 2Anderssen's mate
• 3Arabian mate
• 4Back-rank mate
• 5Bishop and knight mate
• 6Blackburne's mate
• 7Blind swine mate
• 8Boden's mate
• 9Box mate (Rook mate)
• 10 Camter's mate
• 11Cozio's mate
• 12Damiano's bishop mate
• 13Damiano's mate
• 14David and Goliath mate
• 15Double bishop mate
• 16Dovetail mate
• 17Epaulette mate
• • 18Greco's mate
• 19h-file mate
• 20Hook mate
• 21King and two bishops mate
• 22King and two knights mate
• 23Légal mate
• 24Lolli's mate
• 25Max Lange's mate
• 26Morphy's mate
• 27Opera mate
• 28Pillsbury's mate
• 29Queen mate
• 30Réti's mate
• 31Smothered mate
• 32Suffocation mate
• 33Swallow's tail mate
  
  Sundry mates