The checkmate routines shown in the following diagrams occur often in real games. A Chariot, a Cannon and a Pawn work in coordination in the attacking forces.
The discovered check tactic is used to shift the Cannon to the central file first. The Pawn sacrifice then leads to a smothered checkmate.
If Black’s Horse is substituted with a Cannon at the palace corner (B62), you can also perform the assassination in like manners.
In the previous two routines, every move of the attacking side is a check. We call such a tactical combination “Serial Checkmate” (连将杀). The third example shows a very useful RCP checkmate routine that has a non-checking move before the final mating move. To differentiate it from serial checkmate, we call such a combination “Intermittent Checkmate” (隔将杀).
In the left diagram, black is not threatening immediate checkmate. However, red will not be able to save his day if he allows the opposing Pawn to nudge closer. Since a serial checkmate is not available, red has only one move of breathing time, amidst the checking moves, to organize his men for a decisive assault leading to victory.