The puzzle library
Every position here was solved by trying every legal defence to the end. No engine scores, no guesses.
5,000 puzzles, each one proven rather than estimated: for every position, the listed move was played against every legal defence to the full mate distance, and every defence loses. Each puzzle has exactly one winning first move, so there is a single answer to find.
Mate in one
2,984 puzzles
One move, and Black has no reply. The fastest way to train the patterns that finish games.
Mate in two
1,989 puzzles
A first blow, the toughest defence, and the finish. Where most real attacking chances live.
Mate in three
27 puzzles
Three moves deep against every defence. These are the ones worth setting up on a real board.
- Mate in 1x0001 · rating 1239
- Mate in 2x0002 · rating 1730
- Mate in 1x0003 · rating 1301
- Mate in 3x0004 · rating 2070
- Mate in 1x0005 · rating 1263
- Mate in 2x0006 · rating 1772
- Mate in 1x0007 · 1114
- Mate in 2x0008 · 1684
- Mate in 1x0009 · 1285
- Mate in 3x0010 · 2110
- Mate in 1x0011 · 1315
- Mate in 2x0012 · 1674
- Mate in 1x0013 · 1352
- Mate in 2x0014 · 1639
- Mate in 1x0015 · 1260
- Mate in 3x0016 · 2293
- Mate in 1x0017 · 1144
- Mate in 2x0018 · 1799
- Mate in 1x0019 · 1346
- Mate in 2x0020 · 1686
- Mate in 1x0021 · 1106
- Mate in 3x0022 · 2201
- Mate in 1x0023 · 1323
- Mate in 2x0024 · 1674
- Mate in 1x0025 · 1186
- Mate in 2x0026 · 1595
- Mate in 1x0027 · 1177
- Mate in 3x0028 · 2257
- Mate in 1x0029 · 1305
- Mate in 2x0030 · 1692
- Mate in 1x0031 · 1297
- Mate in 2x0032 · 1558
- Mate in 1x0033 · 1300
- Mate in 3x0034 · 2051
- Mate in 1x0035 · 1198
- Mate in 2x0036 · 1800
- Mate in 1x0037 · 1134
- Mate in 2x0038 · 1554
- Mate in 1x0039 · 1221
- Mate in 3x0040 · 2162
- Mate in 1x0041 · 1164
- Mate in 2x0042 · 1572
- Mate in 1x0043 · 1160
- Mate in 2x0044 · 1580
- Mate in 1x0045 · 1356
- Mate in 3x0046 · 2263
- Mate in 1x0047 · 1199
- Mate in 2x0048 · 1790
- Mate in 1x0049 · 1195
- Mate in 2x0050 · 1584
- Mate in 1x0051 · 1138
- Mate in 3x0052 · 2131
- Mate in 1x0053 · 1288
- Mate in 2x0054 · 1654
- Mate in 1x0055 · 1216
- Mate in 2x0056 · 1687
- Mate in 1x0057 · 1310
- Mate in 3x0058 · 2181
- Mate in 1x0059 · 1356
- Mate in 2x0060 · 1635
Prefer to solve them on a board that moves? The puzzle trainer plays the defence for you. The patterns behind these finishes are named in the glossary, and the piece guides cover what each piece can do.