Mate in 3 puzzles
Three moves to checkmate.
About mate in 3 puzzles
Three moves to checkmate. Expect a sacrifice or a quiet move early, with the checkmate arriving on your third move whatever your opponent replies.
How to spot it
- Start with checks and captures. In a mate in three, at least one of your first two moves is usually forcing.
- Look for the pieces that will deliver mate and ask how to bring them closer to the king.
- Try a queen sacrifice. If your opponent must take it, check what the king and pieces look like afterward.
A common mistake
Stopping when the first idea fails. Try the sacrifice or the quiet move before you give up on the position.
A worked example
R
K
Q
Q
K
RBlack to move. White has just played Rg1. Find the checkmate in 3.
Solution: 31... Qc2+ 32. Ka1 Qc1+ 33. Rxc1 Rxc1#
Qc2+ checks the king and also attacks the pawn on b2, so your opponent has to answer the check. The last move is checkmate: the king has no safe square and nothing can block or capture.
The highlighted squares show White's last move. This position is a different puzzle from the ones you start with above (1153 rating).
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Questions
Is mate in 3 much harder than mate in 2?
It takes longer to calculate, but the ideas are the same. Most solutions use one forcing move to open the king, then a second to bring a new attacker.
Where do these puzzles come from?
They are real puzzles from the Lichess puzzle database, which is free to use under the CC0 license. Each one was built from a real game and tested by many players. We picked well-rated ones with good popularity scores.
Are the puzzles free?
Yes. There is no signup, no limit and no ads on the puzzles. Your progress on this page is not saved after you leave.
What do the difficulty levels mean?
Beginner puzzles are rated under 1250, intermediate 1250 to 1749 and advanced 1750 and up, using the rating Lichess players earned on each puzzle.