Checkmate puzzles
Find the move that gives checkmate. Mate in one, then mate in two.
Example
Example
An example to explore. No score or practice round is recorded.
Mate in one. One move ends it.
6 puzzles · The clock starts on your first move
A round is six positions. It ends after the sixth.
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- Solved
- 0 / 6
- Time
- 0:00
Find the mate
Tap a piece, then tap one of the marked squares.
A round is six positions. It ends after the sixth.
Choose a piece
Read the board as words
Chess board
The arrow keys move around the board. Home and End go to the first and last square of a row. Enter or Space picks a piece up, and again on a marked square makes the move. Press h for a hint. Press z to take your move back. Press Escape to stop the round. The board is always turned so your own side is at the bottom.
- Solved
- Not measured
- Active time
- First try
- Not measured
- Answer shown
- Not measured
- Hints used
- Not measured
Look at every check first, then the captures, then the threats. Learn to look at the checks first
Round details
First try counts a position solved with no wrong move, no hint and no answer shown.
The score says how you did on these six positions. It is not a chess rating, and it says nothing about how you play at the board.
Explore the method
Learn the order to search a position in: every check, then every capture, then every threat, and why counting the king's escape squares is what finds a mate in two.
On by default unless you turn it off. Saved choices are kept. Shares starts, completions, replays and error categories. For ChatGPT visits, starts and completions may include the first QuickenBrain page and country. No answers, drawings or names.
How this data is usedHelp
Each position comes from real play and sits one or two moves from checkmate. The board is turned so your own pieces stand along the bottom edge. The move that led to the position is played out first, so you can see what has just changed. Your job is to find the move that ends it.
Tap a piece to pick it up. Every square it may go to is marked. Tap one of those to move, or drag the piece onto it. Tap the piece again to put it back. Take it back puts the position where it started, which on a mate in two takes back your move and the answer to it together.
A dot on a square means your piece may go there. A ring round a piece means you may take it. A brass frame marks the two squares of the last move. A pool of red under a king means that king is in check.
Easy is mate in one: one move ends it. Standard is mate in two: you move, the other side answers as well as it can, and then you mate. Challenge is mate in two from positions other people found hard.
Any move that gives checkmate counts. Some positions have more than one mate, and the one you find is as good as any other.
A move that is not legal does not happen: nothing moves, the square goes red for a moment, and the line under the board says why. A legal move that is not the mate is played, the line says why it is not mate, and then it is taken back.
A pawn that reaches the far rank is promoted. A picker opens with the four pieces to choose from. Escape closes the picker, and the pawn stays in your hand.
Hint lights the piece to move. The button then becomes Show me the square, which lights where that piece goes. Show the answer plays the whole line and marks that position as shown rather than solved. Hints are counted, and so are the answers you show yourself.
A round is six positions. The result is how many you solved, how many you solved with no wrong move, how many you had shown to you, the hints you used and the time. A round you end early saves nothing.
The score says how you did on these six positions. It is not a chess rating, and it says nothing about how you play at the board.
The statistics page compares rounds at the same level. A round played with a hint or a shown answer is left out of the shared community numbers.
Look at every check first, then the captures, then the threats. Learn to look at the checks first
About this practice
A chess position that was really played, one or two moves from checkmate. You play the side at the bottom of the board. The other side has just moved, and that move is played for you first.
Learn a method
Look at the checks firstReport a problem
On by default unless you turn it off. Saved choices are kept. Shares starts, completions, replays and error categories. For ChatGPT visits, starts and completions may include the first QuickenBrain page and country. No answers, drawings or names.
How this data is used