Step 1 · The back rank
White to move
6k1/r4ppp/8/8/8/8/5PPP/4R1K1 w - - 0 1Black's king sits behind its own pawns on f7, g7 and h7. Those pawns are its shelter — and its prison.
Which move is checkmate?
Quick check
- Rook to e8
- Rook to e7
- Rook to e6
Show the correct answer
Correct answer: Rook to e8 — Checkmate. The rook checks along the back rank, and the king's own pawns block every escape.
- Rook to e7 — Rook to e7 attacks a pawn but gives no check — and the rook on a7 takes it. The mate is on the back rank.
- Rook to e6 — From e6 the rook attacks nothing that matters. The black king is only in danger on the back rank.
Step 2 · Deliver it
White to move
6k1/r4ppp/8/8/8/8/5PPP/4R1K1 w - - 0 1Rook to e8.
The move: Re1-e8
Checkmate. The rook checks along the back rank, and the king's own pawns block every escape.
Common mistake: Not mate. The king is trapped by its own pawns — check along the back rank: rook to e8.
Step 3 · Give your king a door
White to move
1r2r1k1/5ppp/8/8/8/8/2R2PPP/6K1 w - - 0 1Now it is your king behind three pawns. Black threatens rook to e1 — checkmate, because your king has no escape square. Fix it: give the king a door, or guard the first rank.
The move: h2-h3
Now rook to e1 is not mate: the king has an escape square, or the back rank is guarded.
Common mistake: That does not solve it — the back rank is still weak. Give the king an escape square with h3 or g3, or guard the first rank with rook to c1.
What you learned
A king behind three pawns needs a door. Before the back rank becomes a trap, make an escape square — or keep a rook home.
Practise this idea
Public-domain positions that turn on exactly what this lesson taught.
- Back-rank mates — 12 positions