Mate in 3
Chess Puzzle No. 283: Black strikes back: can you spot mate in three?
09
Oct
Oct
White has just played Bxe8, perhaps believing their position was secure. It's Black to move: see if you can find the combination that turns the tables.
Mate in 3IntermediateBlack to play
Black to play and mate in 3
Puzzle: Lichess open database (CC0) · Pieces: Cburnett, Wikimedia (CC BY-SA 3.0)
See the solution explained
Ne2+ brings the black knight into contact with the white king and delivers check, leaving only two possible replies.
After Kh1, Black continues with Qh5+, another check that leaves only one square for defence.
White must play Qh4 to block the check with their own queen.
Black finishes with Qxh4#, capturing the white queen while delivering check.
The white king on h1 is in check and has no way to escape: that’s checkmate.
A knight fork followed by a queen slipping onto the decisive diagonal: that's the thread running through this mate in three. Remember this pattern of forced checks leading straight to checkmate.
Fancy playing this puzzle on a real board? Discover our complete chess sets, with matching board and pieces.
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