10 back rank mates rated between 1000 and 1199, averaging 1118. Each position below is from a real game, with the solution given underneath — so you can check yourself immediately rather than guessing whether you were right.
A back rank mate exploits a king trapped behind its own unmoved pawns. The pattern is worth knowing in both directions: it is the most common mate in club chess, and the reason a single luft move can be worth a tempo.
These are pitched at beginners. Puzzle ratings work like player ratings: a puzzle rated 1000 is one that players around 1000 solve about half the time, so if you are getting most of these you should move up a band.
Solving from a page is good for pattern recognition but not for tracking progress. The rated puzzle trainer serves puzzles matched to your own rating and adjusts as you solve, and the Mistake Trainer builds puzzles from positions you actually got wrong in your own games.
Qe6+ Kh8 Qe8#
Qxf2+ Kh1 Qf1+ Rxf1 Rxf1#
Qd8#
Qf2+ Kh1 Qf1+ Rxf1 Rxf1#
Rxc1+ Rxc1 Qe1+ Rxe1 Rxe1#
Qf2+ Kh1 Qf1+ Rxf1 Rxf1#
Qxf7+ Kh8 Qxe8#
Qc2+ Ka1 Qc1+ Rxc1 Rxc1#
Qb8+ Rc8 Qxc8+ Qd8 Qxd8#
Qc1+ Ne1 Qxe1+ Rxe1 Rxe1#
Train back rank mate puzzles at your rating →
A back rank mate exploits a king trapped behind its own unmoved pawns. The pattern is worth knowing in both directions: it is the most common mate in club chess, and the reason a single luft move can be worth a tempo.
Puzzle ratings work like player ratings. A puzzle rated 1000 is one that players rated around 1000 solve roughly half the time. The puzzles on this page average 1118, so they suit beginners.
Yes. Every puzzle on this page, including its solution, is free to view with no account. The rated trainer that tracks your progress and serves puzzles matched to your rating is part of Chess Ramp Premium.