Mate in 2 Chess Puzzles — Rated 1600

10 mate-in-two puzzles rated between 1600 and 1799, averaging 1639. 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.

Mate in two: one forcing move, any legal reply, then mate. The discipline is to check every opponent reply rather than only the one you expect, because a mate in two that fails to one defence is not a mate in two.

These are pitched at 1600-rated players. Puzzle ratings work like player ratings: a puzzle rated 1600 is one that players around 1600 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.

Mate in 2 puzzles rated 1600

  1. Mate in 2 puzzle 1, rated 1628h1g2f3e4d5c6b7a8
    Puzzle 1 · rated 1628 · Black to play after Qxe7
    Show solution

    Qf1+ Kh2 Rxg2#

  2. Mate in 2 puzzle 2, rated 1607a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
    Puzzle 2 · rated 1607 · White to play after Bxg5
    Show solution

    Re8+ Rxe8 dxe8=Q#

  3. Mate in 2 puzzle 3, rated 1701a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
    Puzzle 3 · rated 1701 · White to play after Bb7
    Show solution

    Rg8+ Kh6 Qg5#

  4. Mate in 2 puzzle 4, rated 1655h1g2f3e4d5c6b7a8
    Puzzle 4 · rated 1655 · Black to play after Kg3
    Show solution

    Qg2+ Kxh4 Qh2#

  5. Mate in 2 puzzle 5, rated 1601h1g2f3e4d5c6b7a8
    Puzzle 5 · rated 1601 · Black to play after Ke2
    Show solution

    Rf2+ Ke1 Qd2#

  6. Mate in 2 puzzle 6, rated 1601a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
    Puzzle 6 · rated 1601 · White to play after Bxd1
    Show solution

    Bxf7+ Ke7 Nf5#

  7. Mate in 2 puzzle 7, rated 1638a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
    Puzzle 7 · rated 1638 · White to play after Kh7
    Show solution

    Rxh5+ Kg6 Qg4#

  8. Mate in 2 puzzle 8, rated 1687a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
    Puzzle 8 · rated 1687 · White to play after hxg3
    Show solution

    Qxg6+ Ke7 Qe6#

  9. Mate in 2 puzzle 9, rated 1659a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
    Puzzle 9 · rated 1659 · White to play after Bc8
    Show solution

    Qc6+ Kb8 Qxc8#

  10. Mate in 2 puzzle 10, rated 1608a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
    Puzzle 10 · rated 1608 · White to play after Qxe5
    Show solution

    Qg6+ Kf8 Rd8#

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Frequently asked questions

What is a mate in 2 in chess?

Mate in two: one forcing move, any legal reply, then mate. The discipline is to check every opponent reply rather than only the one you expect, because a mate in two that fails to one defence is not a mate in two.

What does a puzzle rating of 1600 mean?

Puzzle ratings work like player ratings. A puzzle rated 1600 is one that players rated around 1600 solve roughly half the time. The puzzles on this page average 1639, so they suit 1600-rated players.

Are these mate in 2 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.