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Why is this not a pure mate?
In the clearest possible explanation, what is a pure mate?
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Vukovic: We call a mate pure if none of the squares concerned is covered by two or more attacking units. Huh?
Wiki: Checkmating position in chess in which the mated king and all vacant squares in its field are attacked only once, and squares in the king's field occupied by friendly units are not also attacked by the mating side. Better definition. But why would this definition not mean that the bottom position (above) is also a pure mate.
Anderssen-Dufresne, 1852
A bride who has never been touched.
Definition of pure mate from random website: In chess parlance, the term pure mate refers to a checkmate (or occasionally a stalemate) where each square adjacent to the checkmated king is either occupied by one of his own pieces or attacked by exactly one enemy piece (but not both).
This one makes sense.
You seem to have found the answer, but just to check if I understand it correctly, since in the second diagram the e6 square is covered by two pieces (Queen and Bishop), it will not be a pure mate. Is that correct?
Yes, according to my understanding.
In the first diagram on this thread, the g5-square is covered by 2 pieces (B + P) and e6 and f5 are covered by 2 pieces (Q + B). Not a pure mate.
In the second diagram, e6, f5, and g7 seem to be covered by 2 pieces. Not a pure mate.
Third diagram is a pure mate.
Feb 14, 2021
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#8
The clearest explanation I can imagine:
A pure mate is when there is one reason and one reason only for each square adjacent to the king, as to why he can't go there.
So the second one is not a pure mate, because e6 is covered by two pieces. f5 and g7 aren't actually covered by two pieces, since one is occupying it and therefore is not guarding that square. Strictly spoken the first one is also not a pure mate, because there are two reasons why the Black king can't move to g6: there is a friendly pawn there, and the square is guarded by the bishop.
So you're almost right, but an enemy piece who occupies a square is not a reason for the king not to move there because they can take it. It's only a pure mate when that enemy piece is guarded by exactly one other piece.
This is a pure mate
This is not.
I think you get the idea now.