What it looks like
The king has stepped out to e7. Behind it, diagonally to each side, stand its own rooks on d8 and f8. The queen moves to e6, right in front of the king, and a rook on a6 protects her. The queen covers every square in front of and beside the king, and e8 straight behind it. The rooks stand on the two squares diagonally behind. Mate.
It is a close relative of the epaulette mate. There the king's pieces stand beside it. Here they stand diagonally behind it, and together with the king they make a V, like the tail of a swallow.
The name
Like the epaulette mate, the pattern is named for the way it looks. In French the same mate is called the mat du guéridon.
See it coming, and defend
- A king out on the board with its own pieces behind it. The pieces behind the king take its retreat.
- The square in front of the king. If your opponent can put the queen there with support, it is mate. Keep the square under control with a piece of your own.
- Take the support. The queen needs a piece that protects her. If you can take it, or trade it off, the king can take the queen.
- Leave a square open behind the king. Move one of the rooks, and the king has a way back.
Puzzles
Frequently asked questions
What is the swallow's tail mate?
A checkmate where the queen gives check right in front of the king, protected by another piece, while the king's own pieces stand diagonally behind it and take its last squares.
How is it different from the epaulette mate?
In an epaulette mate the king's own pieces stand beside it, on the same rank. In a swallow's tail mate they stand diagonally behind it, and the queen is right in front of the king.
Updated November 14, 2026