Mate in 3

Chess Puzzle No. 278: Can Black’s advanced king escape a mate in three?

Posted on 4 October 2026 by Delphine D.

04
Oct

In a September 2017 rapid game (8+0) between two players rated around 1600, following a Philidor Defence, White plays their 63rd move after Black's Kg4. It's your turn to find the mate in three.

Mate in 3HardWhite to play

White to play and mate in 3

Puzzle: Lichess open database (CC0) · Pieces: Cburnett, Wikimedia (CC BY-SA 3.0)

See the solution explained

Qf3+ delivers check and leaves Black with only one legal reply: Kh3.

g4+ advances the pawn with check, and the king has only two possible replies, including Kh4.

Qg3# ends the game: the Black king, cornered on h4, is in check and has no way to escape.

In the real game, the solver didn't find this combination: they played h3+, then Qf3+ after Kh5, but the game ended on time before it could be completed, resulting in a loss. Worth remembering: this mate combines a discovered attack with a queen endgame.

Fancy playing this puzzle on a real board? Discover our complete chess sets, with matching board and pieces.

Delphine D.

Delphine D. is the lead writer of the editorial team at Le Palais des Échecs, a shop specialising since 2008 in wooden chess sets, chessboards and backgammon sets. Her guides draw on the shop's hands-on experience: more than 5,000 customers advised and a catalogue built around the woods that make beautiful sets. Pale, very fine-grained boxwood set against ebony or rosewood for the pieces; maple, walnut and mahogany for the boards; palisander, olive wood or burr wood for exceptional models. Choosing a set for a child, a wedding or retirement gift, comparing woods, having a board engraved: she helps every reader find the set that suits them. Find out more about Delphine D. and the editorial team - Facebook - Pinterest - Youtube