Mate in 3 Chess Puzzles — Rated 1000

10 mate-in-three puzzles rated between 1000 and 1199, averaging 1099. 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 three requires holding a branching tree in your head. Start from the mating picture you want and work backwards to the move that forces it, rather than searching forwards from checks.

These are pitched at 1000-rated players. 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.

Mate in 3 puzzles rated 1000

  1. Mate in 3 puzzle 1, rated 1106a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
    Puzzle 1 · rated 1106 · White to play after Bxd6
    Show solution

    Qe3+ Bc5 Qxc5+ Kb7 Qb6#

  2. Mate in 3 puzzle 2, rated 1122h1g2f3e4d5c6b7a8
    Puzzle 2 · rated 1122 · Black to play after Qg8
    Show solution

    Qh1+ Kf2 Qxg2+ Ke1 Qe2#

  3. Mate in 3 puzzle 3, rated 1000h1g2f3e4d5c6b7a8
    Puzzle 3 · rated 1000 · Black to play after Kc1
    Show solution

    Qc7+ Kd2 Qc2+ Ke3 Qe2#

  4. Mate in 3 puzzle 4, rated 1100a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
    Puzzle 4 · rated 1100 · White to play after Rxe8
    Show solution

    Qxe8+ Qf8 Bd5+ Kh8 Qxf8#

  5. Mate in 3 puzzle 5, rated 1049h1g2f3e4d5c6b7a8
    Puzzle 5 · rated 1049 · Black to play after Qxc7
    Show solution

    Qg5+ Kh1 Be4+ f3 Bxf3#

  6. Mate in 3 puzzle 6, rated 1157h1g2f3e4d5c6b7a8
    Puzzle 6 · rated 1157 · Black to play after Kh5
    Show solution

    Rxh2+ Kg4 f5+ Kf3 Rf2#

  7. Mate in 3 puzzle 7, rated 1021a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
    Puzzle 7 · rated 1021 · White to play after Re7
    Show solution

    Qh8+ Nf8 Qxf8+ Re8 Qxe8#

  8. Mate in 3 puzzle 8, rated 1193a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
    Puzzle 8 · rated 1193 · White to play after Kh7
    Show solution

    Rh3+ Kg8 Ne7+ Kf8 Rh8#

  9. Mate in 3 puzzle 9, rated 1090a8b7c6d5e4f3g2h1
    Puzzle 9 · rated 1090 · White to play after Rfd8
    Show solution

    Nf6+ Kh8 Rxh5+ Bh7 Rxh7#

  10. Mate in 3 puzzle 10, rated 1152h1g2f3e4d5c6b7a8
    Puzzle 10 · rated 1152 · Black to play after Bxg4
    Show solution

    Qxf2+ Kh1 Qf1+ Rxf1 Rxf1#

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Frequently asked questions

What is a mate in 3 in chess?

Mate in three requires holding a branching tree in your head. Start from the mating picture you want and work backwards to the move that forces it, rather than searching forwards from checks.

What does a puzzle rating of 1000 mean?

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 1099, so they suit 1000-rated players.

Are these mate in 3 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.