The back-rank mateThe pawns that shelter the king also trap him. A window fixes it — made before you need it.

This is the mate that shows up most in real games, and the reason is ironic: the three marked pawns are there to protect the king, and they are exactly what pins him to the back rank. As long as none of them moves, a rook or a queen reaching rank 8 is mate. Now the part that saves games: the defence.

Now you are playing BLACK, which is why the board flipped. The white rook is about to reach the back rank. Open a window for your king before it does.

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