🧩 Chess puzzles
Short chess puzzles you solve right on the board: find the move that gives checkmate. Start with the basic patterns, move on to the famous mates and finish with mate in two.
Chess puzzles are the fastest way to get better: instead of a whole game, you focus on one moment that has a winning move. Solve enough of them and you start to recognize patterns, and in a real game you see the mate before your opponent does.
Every puzzle here was checked by computer: in mate-in-one puzzles exactly one move gives mate, and in mate-in-two puzzles the first move forces mate against every defense. If you find another move that also forces mate, it counts.
A tip for parents and teachers: solve one puzzle a day together and ask your child to explain why the king cannot escape. Then try the same idea in a game against the computer.
Questions and answers
What is a “mate in one” puzzle?
A position appears on the board, and you have to find the one move that gives checkmate right away: a check the king cannot escape. Every puzzle here has exactly one solution.
How do you solve a “mate in two” puzzle?
Play a first move, the computer answers with its best defense, and then you have to give mate. Usually the first move is a sacrifice or a quiet move that cuts off the king.
Who are the chess puzzles for?
The easy level suits kids from about 6–7 who already know how the pieces move. The medium level teaches famous mating patterns, and the challenge level suits players who already play full games.
Is my progress saved?
Puzzles you solved are marked in green in this browser, so you know where to continue. No sign-up needed.
Ready for a full game? Play chess against the computer · chess rules for kids