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11

Chess Moment · Puzzles

Back-rank mate puzzles

A king behind its own pawns has no door. Twelve positions where a rook or queen reaches the last rank and forces mate.

12 positions · Rated 400 to 1663, easiest first.

The lesson behind it: Back-rank mates and king safety

Back-rank mate puzzle 1 · White to move

Rating: 400

Show the solution
  1. YouRd1xd8
  2. OpponentQb5-e8
  3. YouRd8xe8

Open this position on a board

FEN: 3r2k1/1p3ppp/8/pq6/8/8/PPr3PP/K2R3R w - - 0 25

Back-rank mate puzzle 2 · White to move

Rating: 428

Show the solution
  1. YouRf4-f8
  2. OpponentQg6-e8
  3. YouRf8xe8
  4. OpponentRd2-d8
  5. YouRe8xd8

Open this position on a board

FEN: 1k6/ppp3pp/6q1/4n3/5R2/6PK/P2r3P/8 w - - 5 26

Back-rank mate puzzle 3 · White to move

Rating: 490

Show the solution
  1. YouRf1xf8

Open this position on a board

FEN: rn3r1k/pp4pp/2p1B3/8/3b4/6P1/PPPB2KP/R4R2 w - - 1 17

Back-rank mate puzzle 4 · Black to move

Rating: 518

Show the solution
  1. YouRd8-d1
  2. OpponentQg3-e1
  3. YouRd1xe1

Open this position on a board

FEN: 3r3k/5pp1/2n3bp/p3p3/2R1N3/5PQ1/P5PP/7K b - - 0 32

Back-rank mate puzzle 5 · Black to move

Rating: 552

Show the solution
  1. YouRd5-d1
  2. OpponentRe8-e1
  3. YouRd1xe1

Open this position on a board

FEN: 4Rbk1/1p3p1p/1P6/3r1p2/8/8/5PPP/2B3K1 b - - 0 38

Back-rank mate puzzle 6 · Black to move

Rating: 568

Show the solution
  1. YouQf2-f1
  2. OpponentRd1xf1
  3. YouRf8xf1

Open this position on a board

FEN: 5r1k/4Q1pp/p7/1p2P3/2p5/P1P5/5qPP/3R3K b - - 2 31

Back-rank mate puzzle 7 · White to move

Rating: 593

Show the solution
  1. YouQd2-d8
  2. OpponentQf6xd8
  3. YouRd1xd8
  4. OpponentRe4-e8
  5. YouRd8xe8

Open this position on a board

FEN: rnb3k1/1p3ppp/p4q2/8/4r3/1N6/PPPQ1PPP/2KR3R w - - 0 15

Back-rank mate puzzle 8 · White to move

Rating: 656

Show the solution
  1. YouRb1-b8
  2. OpponentRa8xb8
  3. Youa7xb8=Q

Open this position on a board

FEN: r6k/P5pp/8/2p2p2/8/8/4nr1P/1R5K w - - 0 35

Back-rank mate puzzle 9 · Black to move

Rating: 742

Show the solution
  1. YouQf6-a1
  2. OpponentRd8-d1
  3. YouQa1xd1

Open this position on a board

FEN: 3R4/pk6/2p2q2/1pn5/8/1P4Q1/P4PPP/6K1 b - - 0 35

Back-rank mate puzzle 10 · Black to move

Rating: 853

Show the solution
  1. YouQe3-e1
  2. OpponentRd1xe1
  3. Youd2xe1=Q

Open this position on a board

FEN: r4rk1/p1p2pp1/6Qp/2p5/4PP2/1BN1q3/PPPp2PP/3R3K b - - 5 23

Back-rank mate puzzle 11 · White to move

Rating: 1037

Show the solution
  1. YouQg2xa8

Open this position on a board

FEN: r5k1/5ppp/4p1q1/4P1P1/3P4/p3n3/R5Q1/5NK1 w - - 0 48

Back-rank mate puzzle 12 · White to move

Rating: 1663

Show the solution
  1. YouRb5-b8
  2. OpponentBc7xb8
  3. YouRc1-c8

Open this position on a board

FEN: 6k1/r1b2ppp/3p4/1R2p3/8/8/5PPP/2R3K1 w - - 0 32

Where these positions come from

Positions come from the Lichess puzzle database, dedicated to the public domain under CC0 1.0. Player names and game links are not retained. https://database.lichess.org/#puzzles