What "smothered mate" means in chess

A smothered mate is a checkmate that occurs when the king is surrounded by its own pieces and cannot escape to a safe square because they are all occupied by their own pieces, giving the opposing player's piece the opportunity to capture the king. The piece attaching the king in a smothered mate is a knight, as it's the only piece in the game that can jump over the opponents pieces. This type of checkmate is considered to be rare but is also considered to be one of the most elegant ways to win the game.