Checkmate
Checkmate ends the game immediately: the king is in check and no legal move resolves it. The mating patterns repeat — the back-rank mate, the smothered mate, the queen-and-king roll — and recognising them instantly is a core practical skill. Material means nothing once the king has no air.
Start
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1.
Back rank: the rook checks along the eighth rank and the pawn wall seals every escape square — mate.