Three puzzles, three patterns: the back-rank mate, the deflection and the double check. Each position below comes from a real game in the open Lichess database and is engine-verified. Set the position up, give yourself the same five seconds the video does, and only then read the solution. Best for players rated about 800 to 2200.
Puzzle 1: Back-rank mate (beginner, rated 849)
White to play. Black has just played queen to g3. Take a moment to look at the whole board. Would you give up your queen here? There is a reason to.
Play it on Lichess before reading on: lichess.org/training/02m66. It was rated 849 in the Lichess database we took it from; ratings there shift a little as people solve it.
Solution
- Qxf7+ — White: Queen takes on f7, check.
- Kh8 — Black: King to h8.
- Qf8+ — White: Queen to f8, check.
- Rxf8 — Black: Rook takes on f8.
- Rxf8# — White: Rook takes on f8, checkmate.
Queen takes on f7, check. We give up the queen for a pawn. Black’s only move is king to h8. Now, queen to f8, check. We offer the queen. So Black has just one move: rook takes on f8. Rook takes on f8, checkmate.
The pattern. A back-rank mate. The king’s own pawns become its prison, and one heavy piece on the last rank ends the game. Before you castle and forget about it, ask whether your back rank has an escape square.
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Puzzle 2: Deflection (intermediate, rated 1594)
Black to play. White just played rook to g4. It looks natural, but it leaves something behind. One defender is doing all the work. Can you find the move that drags it away?
Play it on Lichess before reading on: lichess.org/training/00Gc5. It was rated 1594 in the Lichess database we took it from; ratings there shift a little as people solve it.
Solution
- Rxe5+ — Black: Rook takes on e5, check.
- Kxe5 — White: King takes on e5.
- Kxg4 — Black: King takes on g4.
Rook takes on e5, check. We give up the rook for a pawn. White has to take it. King takes on e5. King takes on g4. That wins the rook.
The pattern. We come out a pawn ahead. Deflection. A defender is doing an important job, so we force it to leave, and the thing it was defending falls. Ask what each defender is guarding, then find the move that drags it away.
Puzzle 3: Double check (advanced, rated 2117)
Black to play. White has just played bishop takes on f5. It wins a knight, or so it seems. Where can our knight land to attack both at once?
Play it on Lichess before reading on: lichess.org/training/03M4g. It was rated 2117 in the Lichess database we took it from; ratings there shift a little as people solve it.
Solution
- Nxb3+ — Black: Knight takes on b3, check.
- Kb1 — White: King to b1.
- Ra1+ — Black: Rook to a1, check.
- Bxa1 — White: Bishop takes on a1.
- Nxd2+ — Black: Knight takes on d2, check.
Knight takes on b3, check. The knight attacks the king on c1 and the knight on d2 at the same time. White steps out of check. King to b1. And now, rook to a1, check. We offer the rook, and the king cannot take it, because our knight on b3 protects it. So White has just one move: bishop takes on a1. Knight takes on d2, check. The knight steps aside, and our queen on b6 now looks straight at the white king on b1.
The pattern. A double check. Two pieces give check at once, so the only answer is a king move: nothing can be captured or blocked. Whenever a piece can move with check and uncover another, look at it twice. If you were tempted by pawn takes on f5, White answers king to b1 and the chance is gone.
One puzzle at a time
Each puzzle is also a 60-second Short if you want to try one on the phone:
- The obvious move fails: Back-rank mate
- The obvious move fails: Deflection
- The obvious move fails: Double check
Sources and disclosure
Puzzles 02m66, 00Gc5, 03M4g from the Lichess open puzzle database (CC0). New puzzles every day on the RankUp Chess channel and on our videos page.