In chess, an ideal mate is a checkmate position that is a special form of model mate.
For example, in the second position shown, white delivers an ideal mate.
The mate is delivered with the white rook, and the black king cannot stay or move to d4 or f4.
The white king prevents the black king from escaping to d5 or f5 and prevents capture of the knight, while that knight prevents escape to d3 and f3, and the black rook blocks escape to e3, while not being attacked by any of White's pieces.
The very restrictive definition of an ideal mate means that it rarely ends actual chess games, excepting some basic checkmates (such as king and rook against a lone king, which, uniquely among basic checkmates, is always an ideal mate), but ideal mates are a common theme in chess problems, like the one at right.