Trainings
95 trainings graded 1–10. Log in to track what you complete.
Checkmate patterns 12
Ladder and box mates
Finish the game with king and queen, king and rook, or two heavy pieces. The enemy king is already on the edge: find the final check.
Back-rank mates I
The king is trapped behind its own pawns. Find the rook or queen check that ends the game.
The 8 basic mating patterns
A guided tour of the classic mating pictures every player should recognise instantly: back rank, smothered, Anastasia, Arabian, Boden, Greco, Damiano and the queen-and-knight mate.
The Arabian mate
A knight on f6 (or f3) and a rook team up against a king in the corner. The knight protects the rook and guards the escape square.
Back-rank mates II
The back rank is defended. Deflect, overload or exchange the defender with a sacrifice, then mate.
Smothered mate
A knight checks a king that is boxed in by its own pieces. Learn the finish and Philidor's legacy, the queen sacrifice that sets it up.
Anastasia's mate
A knight on e7 covers g8 and g6; a rook or queen then mates on the h-file, usually after a sacrifice removes the h-pawn.
Boden's mate
Two bishops on crossing diagonals against a king that castled long. The trigger is almost always a queen sacrifice on c6 or c3.
Greco's and Damiano's mates
Attacks down the h-file: a bishop takes g8 away (Greco), or rooks are sacrificed on h8 to bring the queen in with mate (Damiano).
Queen and knight mates
Queen and knight are the deadliest attacking pair. Spot the mates on h7 and g7, and the knight checks that drive the king into the corner.
Mate in 2: mixed patterns
Each puzzle is a forced mate in two using a different pattern. Find the key move and the mate that follows.
Long mating combinations
Forced mates in three to five moves, all from Black's side. Every move is a check: calculate the whole sequence before you start.