Lolli's Mate
A queen supported by a pawn delivers checkmate on g7, infiltrating the castled king's weakened position.
Published 2026-02-01 | Last verified 2026-02-12
Professor Archer says: Giambattista Lolli was an 18th-century Italian chess analyst whose work on attacking play remains influential. The mate named after him is deceptively simple: a queen on g7 supported by a pawn on f6. That is it. Two pieces, checkmate. I love teaching this one because it shows that chess brilliance does not always require complexity. Sometimes the most devastating attacks are the simplest ones.
What Is Lolli's Mate?
Lolli's Mate is a checkmate pattern where the queen delivers mate on g7 (or g2 for Black), supported by a pawn on f6 (or f3). The pawn performs double duty: it supports the queen's position on g7 and it blocks the king's escape route through f7 or f8.
The pattern is named after Giambattista Lolli (1698-1769), an Italian chess analyst who studied attacking play extensively and documented many tactical ideas. His work on pawn storms and kingside attacks foreshadowed much of modern attacking theory.
In the typical position, the black king is on h8 (driven there or castled), the g7 pawn has been captured or removed, and White has a pawn on f6. When the queen arrives on g7, it delivers checkmate. The king cannot go to h7 because the queen covers it. It cannot go to g8 because the queen also controls that square. And the pawn on f6 prevents any escape through f7 or f8 (or rather, the pawn's presence on f6 means the queen on g7 is supported and cannot be captured).
What I find elegant about Lolli's Mate is the pawn on f6. In many chess positions, a pawn on the sixth rank near the enemy king is an absolute monster. It cramps the opposing position, supports piece invasions, and in this case, enables checkmate. It is a reminder that pawns, the soul of chess as Philidor said, can be just as deadly as queens.
Lolli's Mate: The Mating Position
Here is the pure Lolli's Mate position. White's queen on g7 delivers checkmate to the black king on h8. The pawn on f6 supports the queen and covers the g7 square (not that it needs protection here, since the mate is already delivered).
Let us verify this is checkmate. The king on h8 cannot capture the queen because the pawn on f6 supports it (and other pieces may help control g7). The king cannot move to g8 because the queen controls that square from g7. The king cannot stay on h8 because it is in check. There are no pieces that can capture the queen or block the check.
The simplicity is stunning. One queen, one pawn, checkmate. The entire defensive formation of the castled king — the pawns, the pieces, everything — has been undone by these two pieces working together.
In practice, reaching this position usually requires a sequence of attacking moves. Getting a pawn to f6 often involves exchanging pawns on g7 (after fxg7 or similar) or advancing the f-pawn from f5 to f6. Once the pawn reaches f6, the opponent must treat it with extreme urgency, because the threat of Qg7 mate is immediate and often unstoppable.
Lolli's Mate: the queen on g7 delivers checkmate, supported by the pawn on f6. The king on h8 has no escape.
Achieving the f6 Pawn
The critical challenge in Lolli's Mate is getting a pawn to f6. Once it is there, the queen's arrival on g7 is often just a matter of time. Here are common ways to establish the killer pawn.
The most direct method is advancing the f-pawn. In many King's Gambit or f4-based systems, the f-pawn naturally advances toward the enemy king. If you can push it to f5 and then f6, you create immediate mating threats. The opponent must either capture the pawn (which may open the g-file for your attack) or deal with the threat of Qg7.
Another common path is through pawn exchanges. If you play e5 and your opponent has a pawn on f6, you might exchange on f6. Or if there is a pawn on g7, capturing fxg7 (after moves like Bxg7 Kxg7 and then a recapture or subsequent advance) can leave you with a pawn on f6 or g7 that supports the queen.
A third approach is the thematic sacrifice. Sacrificing a piece on f6 (for example, Nxf6+ or Bxf6) to destroy the g7 defender is a common motif. After the recapture, you may be able to advance your f-pawn or your e-pawn to f6, creating the Lolli setup.
I advise my students to think of f6 (or f3 for Black) as a dream square for the attacking pawn. Whenever you have a kingside attack, ask yourself: can I get a pawn to the sixth rank? If yes, Lolli's Mate and many other threats become very real.
Lolli's Mate FAQ
How does Lolli's Mate differ from Damiano's Mate?
Damiano's Mate involves the queen on the h-file (h7 or h8) with pawn support. Lolli's Mate places the queen on g7 with a pawn on f6. Both use a queen-and-pawn combination, but the mating squares and geometry are different.
Can the g7 pawn be present when Lolli's Mate is delivered?
No. For the queen to land on g7 with checkmate, the g7 pawn must have been removed (captured, advanced, or exchanged). The removal of the g7 pawn is a prerequisite for the pattern. Often, the process of removing it is part of the attacking sequence.
Is Lolli's Mate common in modern games?
The pure Lolli's Mate is relatively rare, but the underlying theme of a pawn on f6 supporting a queen invasion on g7 appears in many tactical sequences. Strong players constantly evaluate whether they can establish a pawn on the sixth rank to support mating threats.
Professor Archer says: Lolli's Mate has taught me to respect pawns more than I ever did in my early chess years. A pawn on the sixth rank near the enemy king is an extraordinarily powerful asset. It supports the queen, controls critical squares, and cannot easily be challenged. If you ever get a pawn to f6 (or f3 as Black), immediately start looking for Lolli's Mate. The opportunity arises more often than you might think.
Quick Quiz
What is the key supporting piece in Lolli's Mate?
- A pawn on f6 (or f3) supporting the queen on g7 (Correct) - Correct. The pawn on f6 is the essential ingredient. It supports the queen's position on g7 and helps cut off the king's escape routes. Without this pawn, the queen check on g7 would not be mate.
- A bishop on the long diagonal - While bishops on the long diagonal can be powerful, Lolli's Mate specifically features a pawn on f6 as the supporting piece. The pattern is a queen-and-pawn combination.
- A rook on the g-file behind the queen - A rook behind the queen is a common attacking setup, but Lolli's Mate does not require it. The pawn on f6 is the distinctive supporting piece that defines this pattern.
- A knight on e5 controlling key squares - While a knight on e5 can be powerful in kingside attacks, Lolli's Mate is defined by the queen on g7 supported by a pawn on f6. The knight is not part of the core pattern.