Ladder Mate
Two rooks alternate ranks like climbing a ladder, pushing the king to the edge for checkmate.
Published 2026-02-01 | Last verified 2026-02-12
Professor Archer says: The ladder mate was the first checkmate technique I mastered when I took up chess at forty, and I remember the joy of understanding it. Two rooks, stepping up one rank at a time, like climbing a ladder. The king is forced back, back, back, until it hits the edge and has nowhere to go. It felt like magic the first time I did it, and honestly, it still feels a little magical every time.
What Is the Ladder Mate?
The ladder mate, also known as the lawnmower mate or staircase mate, is a fundamental checkmate technique using two rooks (or a rook and queen). The two pieces alternate controlling successive ranks, pushing the enemy king from the center of the board to the edge, where checkmate is delivered.
The name comes from the visual image of the two rooks climbing the ranks like rungs on a ladder. First one rook takes the fourth rank, then the other takes the fifth rank. The first rook moves to the sixth rank, the second to the seventh. Each step forces the king backward until it reaches the eighth rank and cannot retreat further.
This is one of the first checkmate techniques every chess player should learn. It is mechanical, meaning once you know the method, you can execute it without deep calculation. The steps are always the same: check on one rank, the king moves back, check on the next rank, the king moves back again. Rinse and repeat.
I think of the ladder mate as chess's "guaranteed victory" technique. If you have two rooks and your opponent has a lone king, the ladder mate will always work. There is no defense against it. Understanding this gives you enormous confidence in the endgame, because you know that reaching a two-rook advantage is always enough to win.
The Ladder Mate Step by Step
Let us walk through the ladder mate in action. White has rooks on a1 and e1, and the black king is on e5. White begins by checking the king on the fifth rank: 1.Ra5+ forces the king to the sixth rank. Let us say the king goes to e6.
Now the rook on e1 steps forward: 2.Re1 is not a check yet, but it controls the first rank and is ready to advance. Actually, the more efficient approach is to alternate checks: after 1.Ra5+ Ke6, White plays 2.Re1+ (but the rook is behind the king, so instead) 2.Rb6+, forcing the king to the seventh rank.
The pattern continues: the two rooks leapfrog each other, each one checking the king on the next rank. After a few moves, the king is on the eighth rank, and the final rook check delivers checkmate because the king has run out of room.
In the final position shown, the rook on a8 delivers check, and the king on the eighth rank has no square to retreat to. The other rook controls the seventh rank, preventing the king from escaping. This is the ladder mate: simple, methodical, and unstoppable.
The ladder mate finale. The rook on a8 delivers checkmate, with the rook on e7 controlling the seventh rank.
Tips for Executing the Ladder Mate
The ladder mate is simple in principle, but here are some practical tips to execute it smoothly in your games.
First, always keep your rooks on opposite sides of the board from the enemy king. If the king is on the e-file, put one rook on the a-file and the other on the h-file (or similar). This way, the king cannot approach your rooks to threaten them.
Second, do not rush. Check only when you are ready to force the king back a rank. Random checks that do not push the king toward the edge are wasted moves. Each check should advance the "ladder" by one rung.
Third, if the king tries to approach one of your rooks, move that rook to the other side of the board. Rooks control entire ranks and files, so it does not matter which end of the rank they sit on. A rook on a5 controls the same fifth rank as a rook on h5.
Fourth, use the other rook to control the rank below the checking rook. This prevents the king from retreating. When both rooks work together — one checking, one guarding the rank behind — the king can only move forward (toward the edge) or sideways.
I practice this technique with beginning students in their very first lesson on endgames. Within ten minutes, they can execute it reliably. It is one of those rare chess skills that is both easy to learn and immediately useful in real games.
Ladder Mate FAQ
Can the ladder mate work with a queen and rook instead of two rooks?
Yes, and it is even easier. The queen is more flexible than a rook, so the ladder technique works faster with a queen and rook. The principle is the same: alternate rank control, pushing the king to the edge.
What if the king moves toward my rook instead of retreating?
Simply move the threatened rook to the other side of the board. A rook on a5 controls the fifth rank just as well as a rook on h5. The key is to maintain rank control, not to keep the rook on a specific square.
How many moves does the ladder mate take?
From a typical starting position, the ladder mate takes roughly 8-12 moves to push the king from the center to the edge and deliver checkmate. With practice, you can execute it efficiently every time.
Why is it also called the lawnmower mate?
The name "lawnmower" comes from the image of the two rooks sweeping across the board like a lawnmower cutting grass, row by row. Each rook "mows" one rank, then the other rook mows the next, steadily cutting down the king's available space.
Professor Archer says: If you learn only one checkmate technique from this entire collection, let it be the ladder mate. You will use it more than any other. Whenever you have two rooks in the endgame against a king, this is your method. It is simple, reliable, and once you master it, you will never lose a position where you have this advantage. That is a powerful guarantee.
Quick Quiz
In the ladder mate, how do the two rooks work together?
- They alternate checking on successive ranks, pushing the king to the edge (Correct) - Correct. The two rooks leapfrog each other, each one checking on the next rank. This systematic alternation pushes the king to the edge of the board where checkmate is delivered.
- Both rooks check the king simultaneously (double check) - The rooks do not give double check in the ladder mate. They alternate, with one giving check while the other controls the rank behind to prevent the king from retreating.
- One rook sacrifices itself to create an open file for the other - No sacrifice is involved in the ladder mate. Both rooks survive throughout the process. The technique is about systematic rank control, not material sacrifice.
- They both control the same rank for maximum effect - Having both rooks on the same rank would be wasteful. In the ladder mate, each rook controls a different rank — one checks and the other guards the retreat — maximising their combined coverage.