Pillsbury's mate puzzles
A rook and a bishop work together against a king that is blocked in by its own pieces: the rook gives the mate and the bishop takes away the king's last escape square..
About Pillsbury's mate puzzles
A rook and a bishop work together against a king that is blocked in by its own pieces: the rook gives the mate and the bishop takes away the king's last escape square.
How to spot it
- The enemy king is hemmed in by its own pieces, often on the kingside.
- A rook delivers the mate while a bishop covers the king's last escape square.
- Often a sacrifice opens a line or removes a defender first.
A common mistake
Missing that the bishop must cover the king's last escape square, not just attack something.
A worked example
K
R
R
Q
BB
KBlack to move. White has just played Rf2. Find the best move.
Solution: 40... Ra1+ 41. Rf1 Rxf1#
Ra1+ checks the king, 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 idea: A rook and a bishop work together against a king that is blocked in by its own pieces: the rook gives the mate and the bishop takes away the king's last escape square..
The highlighted squares show White's last move. This position is a different puzzle from the ones you start with above (972 rating).
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Questions
Who was Pillsbury?
Harry Nelson Pillsbury, an American master of the late 1800s, after whom the pattern is named.
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.