Hook Mate Chess Puzzles — Rated 600

10 hook mates rated between 400 and 799, averaging 699. 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 600-rated players. Puzzle ratings work like player ratings: a puzzle rated 600 is one that players around 600 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 600

  1. Hook Mate puzzle 1, rated 590h1g2f3e4d5c6b7a8
    Puzzle 1 · rated 590 · Black to play after Bxd3
    Show solution

    Rxd3#

  2. Hook Mate puzzle 2, rated 672a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
    Puzzle 2 · rated 672 · White to play after R2a3
    Show solution

    Rf7#

  3. Hook Mate puzzle 3, rated 723a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
    Puzzle 3 · rated 723 · White to play after Rxc8
    Show solution

    Rxc8#

  4. Hook Mate puzzle 4, rated 786a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
    Puzzle 4 · rated 786 · White to play after b6
    Show solution

    Rc6#

  5. Hook Mate puzzle 5, rated 537a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
    Puzzle 5 · rated 537 · White to play after Rxf3
    Show solution

    Re8#

  6. Hook Mate puzzle 6, rated 726h1g2f3e4d5c6b7a8
    Puzzle 6 · rated 726 · Black to play after Rd7
    Show solution

    Rg2#

  7. Hook Mate puzzle 7, rated 690h1g2f3e4d5c6b7a8
    Puzzle 7 · rated 690 · Black to play after Kg2
    Show solution

    Rg1#

  8. Hook Mate puzzle 8, rated 741h1g2f3e4d5c6b7a8
    Puzzle 8 · rated 741 · Black to play after Bxf3
    Show solution

    Rd3#

  9. Hook Mate puzzle 9, rated 787h1g2f3e4d5c6b7a8
    Puzzle 9 · rated 787 · Black to play after bxc4
    Show solution

    Rg2#

  10. Hook Mate puzzle 10, rated 737a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
    Puzzle 10 · rated 737 · White to play after Ka4
    Show solution

    Ra5#

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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 600 mean?

Puzzle ratings work like player ratings. A puzzle rated 600 is one that players rated around 600 solve roughly half the time. The puzzles on this page average 699, so they suit 600-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.