Hook Mate Chess Puzzles — Rated 2200+

10 hook mates rated between 2200 and 3500, averaging 2394. 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.

Hook mate uses a rook, knight and pawn together, with the knight protected by the pawn and the rook cutting off the king. It appears more often than its obscurity suggests.

These are pitched at 2200+-rated players. Puzzle ratings work like player ratings: a puzzle rated 2200+ is one that players around 2200+ 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.

Hook Mate puzzles rated 2200+

  1. Hook Mate puzzle 1, rated 2474a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
    Puzzle 1 · rated 2474 · White to play after Rh8
    Show solution

    R7d3+ Nxd3 Re2+ Kd4 Re4#

  2. Hook Mate puzzle 2, rated 2494a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
    Puzzle 2 · rated 2494 · White to play after Rc4
    Show solution

    Nf6+ Kh8 Qxg7+ Bxg7 Rd8+ Bf8 Rxf8+ Kg7 Rg8#

  3. Hook Mate puzzle 3, rated 2541a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
    Puzzle 3 · rated 2541 · White to play after Rd7
    Show solution

    Rh8+ Kg7 Ne8+ Kxh8 Rh1+ Kg8 Nf6+ Kg7 Rh7+ Kf8 Rh8+ Ke7 Re8#

  4. Hook Mate puzzle 4, rated 2291a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
    Puzzle 4 · rated 2291 · White to play after Rxa2
    Show solution

    Rd8 Rh8 Rxh8 Kxh8 Rh3+ Kg7 Rh7+ Kf8 Rh8+ Ke7 Re8#

  5. Hook Mate puzzle 5, rated 2209a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
    Puzzle 5 · rated 2209 · White to play after Kc6
    Show solution

    Rb6+ Kxb6 Nd5+ Kc6 Rc7#

  6. Hook Mate puzzle 6, rated 2265h1g2f3e4d5c6b7a8
    Puzzle 6 · rated 2265 · Black to play after Kd3
    Show solution

    Nc5+ Kd2 Rd4+ Kc3 b4+ Kxd4 Re4#

  7. Hook Mate puzzle 7, rated 2294a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
    Puzzle 7 · rated 2294 · White to play after c4
    Show solution

    Qxf8+ Kxf8 Ne6+ Ke8 Rf8+ Kd7 Rd8#

  8. Hook Mate puzzle 8, rated 2341a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
    Puzzle 8 · rated 2341 · White to play after Qb7
    Show solution

    Qxh7+ Kxh7 Re3 Kg8 Rh3 Rfe7 Rh8+ Kf7 Rf8#

  9. Hook Mate puzzle 9, rated 2515h1g2f3e4d5c6b7a8
    Puzzle 9 · rated 2515 · Black to play after Ke1
    Show solution

    Qg1+ Ke2 Rf2+ Kd3 Qf1+ Qxf1 Rd2#

  10. Hook Mate puzzle 10, rated 2513a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
    Puzzle 10 · rated 2513 · White to play after dxe4
    Show solution

    Kb2 Nxb4 Rd4+ Kc5 cxb4+ Kc6 Rd6#

Train hook mate puzzles at your rating →

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Frequently asked questions

What is a hook mate in chess?

Hook mate uses a rook, knight and pawn together, with the knight protected by the pawn and the rook cutting off the king. It appears more often than its obscurity suggests.

What does a puzzle rating of 2200+ mean?

Puzzle ratings work like player ratings. A puzzle rated 2200+ is one that players rated around 2200+ solve roughly half the time. The puzzles on this page average 2394, so they suit 2200+-rated players.

Are these hook mate puzzles free?

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.