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Chess Puzzles
Train your tactics with hundreds of checkmate and material-winning puzzles. Each puzzle starts with the opponent's last move; find the best reply, keep your streak alive and watch your puzzle rating climb.
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Move validation: built-in rules
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How to use the Chess Puzzles
- Pick a puzzle type: mixed, mate in 1, 2 or 3, or tactics.
- Watch the opponent's move. The puzzle begins one move earlier, so you see the mistake you are about to punish.
- Play your move by clicking a piece and then a square, or by dragging it. Wrong moves are taken back and the puzzle counts as missed.
- Keep going until the line is complete; the computer plays the opponent's most stubborn reply.
- Use Show hint if stuck (first the piece, then the square), or Show solution to see the full line, then press Next puzzle.
Puzzle types and what they train
| Type | Your moves | Typical difficulty | What to look for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mate in 1 | 1 | 500–1300 | Every check first, then every capture. Count the king's escape squares. |
| Mate in 2 | 2 | 900–1900 | Checks, captures and quiet moves that take away the last free square. |
| Mate in 3 | 3 | 1300–2400 | Sacrifices that drag the king out or open lines for the heavy pieces. |
| Tactics | 2 | 1000–2100 | Forks, pins, skewers and discovered attacks that win at least a minor piece. |
A simple method for solving any puzzle
- Ask what the last move changed. Every puzzle starts with the opponent's move. Did it leave a piece undefended, open a line to its own king, or step into a fork?
- List the forcing moves: checks, captures, threats. Forcing moves limit the opponent's replies, which is why almost every combination starts with one.
- Look at the king's flight squares. For mates, find which squares the king can still reach and which piece could cover them. Back-rank weaknesses and pinned defenders are the most common keys.
- Calculate the opponent's best reply, not the one you hope for. The computer here always picks the most stubborn defence.
- Check that your final position really wins. In tactics, count the material after the sequence: winning a knight but losing a rook is not a win.
Common checkmate patterns
| Pattern | Idea |
|---|---|
| Back-rank mate | A rook or queen mates a king trapped behind its own pawns on the first or last rank. |
| Smothered mate | A knight mates a king surrounded by its own pieces, often after a queen sacrifice. |
| Anastasia's mate | A knight covers escape squares while a rook mates along the edge file. |
| Arabian mate | Rook and knight cooperate to mate a king in the corner. |
| Queen and king mate | The queen gives mate on the edge, supported by its own king, a key endgame skill. |
Frequently asked questions
How are the puzzles made and checked?
The puzzles come from computer self-play games played at different strengths. Positions where one side has a forced checkmate or a decisive material-winning sequence were extracted automatically. Every mate puzzle was checked by an exhaustive search that tries every defence, and only positions with a single first move that forces mate in the stated number of moves were kept.
Does it accept moves other than the stored solution?
Yes for checkmates. Any move that delivers mate immediately is accepted, and in mate-in-2 and mate-in-3 puzzles a different move is accepted if it still forces mate in the remaining moves; the computer then defends as stubbornly as possible. Tactics puzzles accept only the winning line.
How does the puzzle rating work?
It is an Elo-style rating that starts at 1200. Solving a puzzle raises it and missing one lowers it; the size of the change depends on the gap between your rating and the puzzle's difficulty, so beating a hard puzzle gains more than an easy one. Puzzle difficulties are estimates based on the puzzle type and how quiet the key move is.
What counts as a missed puzzle?
Playing a wrong move, pressing Show solution, or skipping to the next puzzle after you have started all count as a miss and reset your streak. Hints are free: they don't change your rating.
What is the Lichess daily puzzle button?
Lichess publishes a free daily puzzle through its open API. The button fetches it directly from lichess.org in your browser and lets you solve it on this board. It needs an internet connection and does not affect your rating here; the built-in puzzles work offline.
Where is my progress stored?
Your rating, streaks and the list of puzzles you have already seen are stored only in your browser's local storage. Nothing is uploaded. Use Reset stats to start over.
What does mate in 2 mean?
Mate in 2 means you can force checkmate with your second move no matter how the opponent defends: you move, the opponent replies, and your next move is checkmate. Mate in 3 adds one more pair of moves.
Are all the tools on FreeToolCabin tested for quality and accuracy?
Yes! Every tool on our site undergoes automated Q/A testing in real browser environments to ensure high precision, correct output, and zero errors. If you happen to spot a bug or have a suggestion, please contact us at [email protected] and our team will review it right away.
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