Level 2 · 6 min · 8 puzzles
The back-rank mate
A king behind its own pawns has nowhere to go.
Practise it
Puzzle 1 of 8
White to move
Checkmate in one move.
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- 1A king behind its own pawns can be mated by one rook on the back rank.
- 2Look for it against the other side, and fix it on your own side.
- 3One pawn move creates an escape square.
The longer explanation
The most common mate at your level. When a king stays on its back rank with its pawns still in front of it, those pawns are a cage. A rook or queen that reaches the back rank gives check, and the king has nowhere to go.
How to use it. Look for an enemy king that has not moved, with all its pawns on the second row. Then ask whether one of your rooks or your queen can reach the back rank with check, and whether anything can block or capture.
How to avoid it. Give your own king a way out. Push one pawn in front of it one square, which makes an escape square called “luft”. It costs one move and saves games.