Exercise 16.1Mate in 1
White to move
Give checkmate in one move.
16
Chess from Zero · Kapilash Chess Academy
Your First Checkmates
Queen and king, and two rooks
In this lesson you will learn
- The two-rook ladder
- Mating with queen and king
- Mating with rook and king (mate in one)
Every board on this page is live. Move the pieces by tapping or dragging, click any move in the lines to see that position, and press ↺ to start again.
16.1 The two-rook ladder
Two rooks mate the king without any help. One rook cuts off a rank, the other checks on the next rank, and they take turns, pushing the king to the edge like climbing a ladder.
Diagram 16.1White to move
Diagram 16.1 · Climbing the ladder
The rook on g3 cuts the black king off from the 3rd rank. Now the other rook checks on the 4th rank, and the rooks take turns.
Check on one rank, then the other rook checks on the next. When the king tries to attack a rook, move that rook far away to the other side.
16.2 Queen and king
With a queen it is easier: first use the queen to box the king in (a knight’s move away from it), make the box smaller, then bring your own king close and give mate. Never leave the black king without a move unless it is checkmate!
Diagram 16.2White to move
Diagram 16.2 · Boxing the king
Keep the queen a knight’s move away from the king and follow it.
The queen shrinks the box until the king is on the edge, then the white king walks up and the queen mates. Check after each queen move that Black still has a legal move.
Remember
- Two rooks: check on alternate ranks (the ladder).
- Queen: keep a knight’s move away from the king, shrink the box, then bring your king.
- Never stalemate: give your opponent a move until you can mate.
Exercises · Lesson 16
Give checkmate in one move. Watch out for stalemate.
Two rooks
Exercise 16.2Mate in 1
White to move
Give checkmate in one move.
Exercise 16.3Mate in 1
White to move
Give checkmate in one move.
Exercise 16.4Mate in 1
White to move
Give checkmate in one move.
Exercise 16.5Mate in 1
White to move
Give checkmate in one move.
Queen and king
Exercise 16.6Mate in 1
White to move
Give checkmate in one move.
Exercise 16.7Mate in 1
White to move
Give checkmate in one move.
Exercise 16.8Mate in 1
White to move
Give checkmate in one move.
Exercise 16.9Mate in 1
White to move
Give checkmate in one move.
Exercise 16.10Mate in 1
White to move
Give checkmate in one move.
Exercise 16.11Mate in 1
White to move
Give checkmate in one move.
Rook and king
Exercise 16.12Mate in 1
White to move
Give checkmate in one move.
Exercise 16.13Mate in 1
White to move
Give checkmate in one move.
Exercise 16.14Mate in 1
White to move
Give checkmate in one move.
Exercise 16.15Mate in 1
White to move
Give checkmate in one move.
Exercise 16.16Mate in 1
White to move
Give checkmate in one move.