Position 1 · White to move
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- You
Rd1xd8 - Opponent
Qb5-e8 - You
Rd8xe8
FEN: 3r2k1/1p3ppp/8/pq6/8/8/PPr3PP/K2R3R w - - 0 25
Chess Moment · Puzzles
Back-rank mates
A king behind its own pawns has no door. Twelve positions where a rook or queen reaches the last rank and the game is over at once.
The lesson behind it: Back-rank mates and king safety
Position 2 · White to move
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- You
Rf4-f8 - Opponent
Qg6-e8 - You
Rf8xe8 - Opponent
Rd2-d8 - You
Re8xd8
FEN: 1k6/ppp3pp/6q1/4n3/5R2/6PK/P2r3P/8 w - - 5 26
Position 3 · White to move
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- You
Rf1xf8
FEN: rn3r1k/pp4pp/2p1B3/8/3b4/6P1/PPPB2KP/R4R2 w - - 1 17
Position 4 · Black to move
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- You
Rd8-d1 - Opponent
Qg3-e1 - You
Rd1xe1
FEN: 3r3k/5pp1/2n3bp/p3p3/2R1N3/5PQ1/P5PP/7K b - - 0 32
Position 5 · Black to move
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- You
Rd5-d1 - Opponent
Re8-e1 - You
Rd1xe1
FEN: 4Rbk1/1p3p1p/1P6/3r1p2/8/8/5PPP/2B3K1 b - - 0 38
Position 6 · Black to move
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- You
Qf2-f1 - Opponent
Rd1xf1 - You
Rf8xf1
FEN: 5r1k/4Q1pp/p7/1p2P3/2p5/P1P5/5qPP/3R3K b - - 2 31
Position 7 · White to move
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- You
Qd2-d8 - Opponent
Qf6xd8 - You
Rd1xd8 - Opponent
Re4-e8 - You
Rd8xe8
FEN: rnb3k1/1p3ppp/p4q2/8/4r3/1N6/PPPQ1PPP/2KR3R w - - 0 15
Position 8 · White to move
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- You
Rb1-b8 - Opponent
Ra8xb8 - You
a7xb8=Q
FEN: r6k/P5pp/8/2p2p2/8/8/4nr1P/1R5K w - - 0 35
Position 9 · Black to move
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- You
Qf6-a1 - Opponent
Rd8-d1 - You
Qa1xd1
FEN: 3R4/pk6/2p2q2/1pn5/8/1P4Q1/P4PPP/6K1 b - - 0 35
Position 10 · Black to move
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- You
Qe3-e1 - Opponent
Rd1xe1 - You
d2xe1=Q
FEN: r4rk1/p1p2pp1/6Qp/2p5/4PP2/1BN1q3/PPPp2PP/3R3K b - - 5 23
Position 11 · White to move
Show the solution
- You
Qg2xa8
FEN: r5k1/5ppp/4p1q1/4P1P1/3P4/p3n3/R5Q1/5NK1 w - - 0 48
Position 12 · White to move
Show the solution
- You
Rb5-b8 - Opponent
Bc7xb8 - You
Rc1-c8
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