A Queen delivers a direct check right in front of the enemy King, while two of the King's own pieces block its diagonal retreat routes, forming a visual pattern resembling a bird's tail.
Why it matters
The queen checks from directly in front of the king, and the king's own pieces stand on the two diagonal squares behind it. The outline of the covered squares looks like a bird's tail, which is where the name comes from.
The instructive part is that the defenders cause the mate. A king with rooks either side of it on the back rank has no escape at all, so a supported queen next to it finishes the game.
See it on a board
The rook on e1 defends the queen, the queen covers d7 and f7, and Black's own rooks on d8 and f8 do the rest.
Checked: this line ends in checkmate.
How to play it
- Look for an enemy king with its own pieces on both neighbouring squares — rooks on d8 and f8 with the king on e8 is the classic.
- Find a way to support a queen landing directly in front of the king.
- Give the check. The queen covers the two squares in front, and the king's own pieces cover the rest.
At each level
The same idea, said the way it is taught at each age.
Rook · ages 6–9
A queen right next to the enemy king is mate whenever it is defended and the king's own pieces block the escape squares. Look at what the defender is standing next to.
Queen · ages 8–11
It is also a defensive warning. Rooks connected on the back rank look safe and are exactly the shape this mate needs, so keep a square for the king.
What goes wrong
- Checking with an undefended queen, which the king simply takes.
- Missing a defender that can capture the queen from a distance.
Questions people ask
- Is the swallow's tail the same as the guéridon mate?
- Yes, the two names describe the same pattern — a supported queen in front of the king with the king's own pieces blocking the diagonals behind.