Chess Mate Finder

How to play

1. 1 Choose Mate in 1, Mate in 2, or Mate in 3.
2. 2 Select one of your pieces on the board, then select its destination square.
3. 3 For mate-in-2 and mate-in-3 puzzles, the opponent reply is played automatically after a correct move.
4. 4 Complete the line until the final move checkmates the king.

Rules

• Only legal chess moves are accepted.
• The puzzle accepts the intended forcing line for the selected position.
• You move only the attacking side; opponent replies are automatic in longer puzzles.
• Use Reset to return the board to the starting position.

Scoring

• The goal is to solve the puzzle line correctly.
• Completed puzzles are saved locally in this browser.
• Attempts and solved puzzle counts stay on the device.
• This solo mode does not use a public leaderboard or account-based rating.

Tips and strategy

• Start by checking every available forcing check.
• Look for trapped kings, overloaded defenders, pinned pieces, and back-rank weaknesses.
• In longer lines, calculate the opponent reply before moving.
• Use hints only after trying to name the candidate move yourself.

Puzzle types

Mate in 1

A warmup where one legal move immediately checkmates the opponent.

Mate in 2

Find your first move, watch the forced reply, then finish the mate.

Mate in 3

A longer forcing line with three moves by the attacking side.

What to look for

• Check candidate moves first: forcing checks often reduce the defender's choices.
• Look for pinned pieces, trapped kings, and back-rank weaknesses.
• Treat sacrifices seriously when they pull the king onto a mating square.
• Use the hint button only after calculating the line once yourself.