The Ladder Mate

Two rooks (or rook + queen) mate a bare king without your king lifting a finger. The LADDER:

One rook cuts the king off along a rank. The other checks on the next rank, forcing him back. They alternate — rung by rung — until the king runs out of board.

One caution: if the king ever attacks a rook, just slide that rook to the far side of the board. The ladder doesn't care where the rungs start.