Lesson
White to move. Main line: 1. Qe6#
After 1.Qe6# the queen checks straight down the e-file. The king’s only flight squares are d8 and f8 — both blocked by its own rooks — so it is mate.
The epaulette mate is all about self-obstruction: the defender’s own pieces take away the escape squares. Whenever an enemy king is boxed in by its own rooks, look for a frontal check from a queen or rook.
The name comes from the shoulder boards of a dress uniform — the two rooks sitting either side of the king like a pair of epaulettes. It is worth recognising in your own position too: rooks that never found an open file can quietly become the bars of your own king’s cage.