Mate in 1 — Chess Puzzles

Solve free «Mate in 1» chess puzzles from the lichess database, from beginner to master. No account needed.

A mate-in-one puzzle asks for a single move that ends the game on the spot. There is no follow-up to calculate and no combination to see through — the only question is which move leaves the enemy king attacked with no legal answer: no escape square, no way to block the line, and no way to capture the attacker.

How to spot it

• The king is already short of squares, usually on the edge or boxed in by its own pieces.
• You have a piece that can reach a square next to the king, or a line that hits it from a distance.
• Check every capture and every check first — the move you need is almost always one of them.
• Before playing it, name the king's escape squares out loud and confirm each one is covered.

A worked example

White: king e3, queen f2. Black: king c1, queen b1. White to move.

1. Qd2 is the move. The queen steps alongside the black king and covers b2, c2 and d1 — every square it could run to.
2. It cannot be captured: the white king on e3 defends d2, and the black queen on b1 does not attack that square.
3. Black's own queen takes away b1, the last flight square. A piece of your own standing next to your king becomes a liability the moment the checks start.

The idea A mate in one is found by checking the answer, not by admiring the move: name every square the king could use, confirm each is covered, and confirm the checking piece is safe.