Para obtener una buena destreza combinativa es necesario que el ajedrecista se familiarice con las diferentes figuras o esquemas de mate que se pueden dar con la finalidad de poder prever las mismas con suficiente anticipación. El esquema de arriba ilustra algunos de los más habituales esquemas de mate. A continuación desarrollo una serie de ejemplos tácticos basados en las diferentes figuras de mate:

[pgt][Event “Italia”][Date “1991”][White “Rossi”][Black “Marinelli”][Result “1-0”][SetUp “1”][FEN “4rbk1/6pp/5p2/2pnN3/p3N1Q1/q2P3P/5PP1/4R1K1 w – – 0 32”][PlyCount “11”]{[#]} 32. Nxf6+ $1 Nxf6 33. Qc4+ {y el negro abandonó antes de recibir el famoso mate de la “coz” que se hubiera producido tras:} Kh8 34. Nf7+ Kg8 35. Nh6+ Kh8 36. Qg8+ Nxg8 37. Nf7# {[#]} 1-0 [/pgt] [pgt][Event “Bundesliga “][Date “1998”][White “Casper”][Black “Yusupov”][Result “0-1”][SetUp “1”][FEN “6k1/5pp1/8/5P2/R6p/1P3N1P/3rnrPK/6R1 b – – 0 38”][PlyCount “9”]{[#]} 38… Rxf3 $1 39. gxf3 Nd4+ 40. Kh1 Nxf3 41. Rg2 {ante Th2++} Rd1+ 42. Rg1 Rxg1# {[#]} 0-1 [/pgt] [pgt][Event “Yerevan”][Date “1996”][White “Lima”][Black “Quinn”][Result “1-0”][SetUp “1”][FEN “1r6/1b2kPp1/pp1nP1Bp/3q4/PP6/8/5QPP/4R1K1 w – – 0 32”][PlyCount “9”] {[#]} 32. f8=Q+ $1 Rxf8 33. Qxf8+ Kxf8 34. e7+ Kg8 35. e8=Q+ Nxe8 36. Rxe8# {[#]} 1-0 [/pgt] [pgt][Event “Leningrado”][Date “1950”][White “Taimanov”][Black “Kusminych”][Result “1-0”][SetUp “1”][FEN “r1qr2k1/1p3pp1/2pbbn2/p3N3/3P3Q/P5PB/1B3P2/R3R1K1 w – – 0 1”][PlyCount “7”] {[#]} 1. Ng6 $1 Nh7 2. Rxe6 $1 fxe6 3. Qxd8+ $3 Qxd8 4. Bxe6# {[#]} 1-0 [/pgt] [pgt][Event “Karlsbad”][Date “1929”][White “Vidmar”][Black “Euwe”][Result “1-0”][SetUp “1”][FEN “6k1/5pb1/1p1N3p/p5p1/5q2/Q6P/PPr5/3RR2K w – – 0 34”][PlyCount “9”] {[#]} 34. Re8+ Bf8 ({si} 34… Kh7 35. Qd3+) 35. Rxf8+ $1 Kxf8 36. Nf5+ Kg8 37. Qf8+ $1 Kxf8 38. Rd8# {[#]} 1-0 [/pgt] [pgt][Event “Praga”][Date “1891”][White “Neustadtl”][Black “Valenta”][Result “0-1”][SetUp “1”][FEN “1k1r3r/1Pp2ppp/8/1Bb2bn1/3P1pq1/2P2N2/PP4PP/R1BQ2KR b – – 0 17”][PlyCount “7”]{[#]} 17… Rxd4 $1 18. cxd4 Bxd4+ 19. Kf1 ({si} 19. Qxd4 Nxf3+) 19… Qxg2+ 20. Kxg2 Bh3# {[#]} 0-1 [/pgt] [pgt] [Event “Baku”][Date “1964”][White “Antoshin”][Black “Rabar”][Result “1-0”][SetUp “1”][FEN “2r2rn1/pp3p1p/5qpk/2p1Q3/3pPNP1/3P1R2/PPP4P/R5K1 w – – 0 21”][PlyCount “5”]{[#]} 21. Ne6 $1 {y el negro abandonó, pues si} Qxe5 ({si} 21… Qxf3 22. Qg5#) 22. Rh3+ Qh5 23. g5# {[#]} 1-0 [/pgt] [pgt] [Event “Italia”][Date “1952”][White “Porreca”][Black “Del Vecchio”][Result “1-0”][SetUp “1”][FEN “r1q2rk1/pbpnbppp/1p6/4p3/2P5/1PQ2NP1/PB2PPBP/R2R2K1 w – – 0 14”][PlyCount “13”][EventDate “1952”] {[#]} 14. Rxd7 $1 Qxd7 15. Nxe5 Qc8 16. Bxb7 Qxb7 17. Ng6 $1 Bf6 18. Ne7+ $1 Kh8 19. Qxf6 $1 gxf6 20. Bxf6# {[#]} 1-0 [/pgt] [pgt] [Event “París”][Date “1858”][White “Morphy”][Black “Bruswick y Ysouard”][Result “1-0”][SetUp “1”][FEN “3rkb1r/p2nqppp/5n2/1B2p1B1/4P3/1Q6/PPP2PPP/2KR3R w k – 0 13”][PlyCount “9”] {[#]} 13. Rxd7 $3 Rxd7 14. Rd1 Qe6 15. Bxd7+ Nxd7 16. Qb8+ Nxb8 17. Rd8# {[#]} 1-0 [/pgt] [pgt] [Event “Fond du Lac”][Date “1990”][White “J. Polgar”][Black “Mathe”][Result “1-0”][SetUp “1”][FEN “r3nbk1/1q3ppp/p1b5/5p2/1p1B4/P2B3Q/1PP3PP/4RR1K w – – 0 1”] [PlyCount “11”]{[#]} 1. Qxf5 $1 Bxg2+ 2. Kg1 g6 3. Qxf7+ $1 Qxf7 4. Rxf7 Kxf7 5. Bc4+ Bd5 6. Bxd5# {[#]} 1-0 [/pgt] [pgt][Event “Moscú”][Date “1949”][White “Shuraw”][Black “Borisenko”][Result “0-1”][SetUp “1”][FEN “2kr3r/pp2n1R1/2p1P3/8/3p1p1q/Q7/PPB2P2/4RK2 b – – 0 1”][PlyCount “11”] {[#]} 1… d3 $1 2. Bxd3 f3 $1 3. Re3 Qh1+ 4. Rg1 Qxg1+ $1 5. Kxg1 Rdg8+ 6. Kf1 Rh1# {[#]} 0-1 [/pgt] [pgt] [Event “?”][Date “1834”][White “Canal”][Black “Aficionado”][Result “1-0”][SetUp “1”][FEN “2kr2nr/pp1n1ppp/2p1p3/q7/1b1P1B2/P1N2Q1P/1PP1BPP1/R3K2R w – – 0 1”] [PlyCount “7”][EventDate “1834”] {[#]} 1. axb4 $3 Qxa1+ 2. Kd2 Qxh1 ({tampoco resolvía la situación} 2… Ne5 3. Bxe5 Qxh1 4. Qxf7 $1 Rd7 5. Qe8+ Rd8 6. Qxe6+ Rd7 7. Qe8+ Rd8 8. Bg4#) 3. Qxc6+ $1 bxc6 4. Ba6# {[#]} 1-0 [/pgt] [pgt] [Event “Estocolmo”][Date “1962”][White “Toth”][Black “Siggetti”][Result “1-0”][SetUp “1”][FEN “5rk1/pbrn1pp1/1ppN3q/2P1p2Q/3P4/1P5R/5PPP/5RK1 w – – 0 4”] [PlyCount “5”] {[#]} 4. Nf5 $3 {la clave de la combinación.} Qxh5 5. Ne7+ Kh7 6. Rxh5# {[#]} 1-0 [/pgt] [pgt][Event “Helsinki”][Date “1989”][White “Karpov”][Black “Nikanen”][Result “1-0”][SetUp “1”][FEN “r1b1N1k1/4pp1p/ppp1n1pB/2pq2N1/5b2/2PP3P/PP1Q1PP1/R3R1K1 w – – 0 1”][PlyCount “5”] {[#]} 1. Qxf4 $3 Nxf4 2. Nf6+ exf6 3. Re8# {[#]} 1-0 [/pgt] [pgt][Event “Lissabon”][Date “1941”][White “Alekhine”][Black “Supico”][Result “1-0”][SetUp “1”][FEN “rn1q1r1k/p2pNppp/bp1Q4/2p1PN2/2B5/P1R5/5PPP/5RK1 w – – 0 1”] [PlyCount “5”] {[#]} 1. Qg6 $3 fxg6 2. Nxg6+ hxg6 3. Rh3+ {[#]} 1-0 [/pgt] Les invito a que resuelvan la siguiente secuencia de problemas basados en este tema táctico: