What is the best way to drill basic checkmates?
These answers restate the rules implemented by our open-source engine, which follows the WXF laws for movement, checkmate and both repetition rulings: a side that forces a repetition by perpetual check or perpetual chase loses rather than drawing. The chase half has not been validated against the official casebook. Where an answer refers to a specific position, that position lives on the linked reference page, where the build verifies it before publishing.
Direct answer
Set up each winning material combination against a bare general and mate it repeatedly, from different starting positions, until it takes only a handful of moves every time. This is an afternoon's work per combination, and it is what turns a technically won endgame into one you actually convert at the board.
Start with the chariot
A single chariot forces mate against a bare general and is the simplest technique to learn, built entirely around bringing your own general up to hold a file. Drill it from several different starting positions of the enemy general, not just one, before moving on.
Add the harder combinations once the basics are automatic
Cannon and advisor, then horse and soldier, then the two-horse mate, each add their own complication. Do not move to the next one until the previous mate takes only a few moves without hesitation.
Related questions
How long does this take overall?
A handful of focused sessions covers the material table that actually comes up in real games.
Is drilling against a computer good enough?
Yes, particularly for this purpose. A computer holding a bare general or a simple defence is an easy way to repeat a mate until it is automatic.
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