Back Rank Mates

Number grids · Chess tactics

His own pawns built the wall. You only have to close the door.

You play White, and White is always to move. Positions 1 to 8 are mates in one. Positions 9 to 22 are mates in two, where a guard on the back row must first be removed or overloaded: one rook, then a queen, then two guards. After a correct first move, Black plays the defence that lasts longest. A wrong move earns one sentence naming Black's resource, and the board resets so you can try again. Show answer plays the line one move at a time; that position counts as shown, not solved. When a mate lands, the king's flight squares fill in one by one, so you can see why there was nowhere to go.