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Mate in 2 Puzzles from the Caro–Kann Defence

Real puzzles from rated games · median rating 1139 · solved 10,372,295 times

Opening: Caro–Kann Defence

These mate in 2 puzzles were set in games that began as the Caro–Kann Defence: 4,969 puzzles, median rating 1139, solved 10,372,295 times. The twelve below are among the most-solved of them; try each on the board, then read the numbers further down to see how the solutions are built.

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By the numbers

mate in 2 puzzles from Caro–Kann Defence games: the numbers

There are 4,969 mate in 2 puzzles from Caro–Kann Defence games, solved 10,372,295 times in total. The median rating is 1139.

How hard are they?

Foundation
2,928 · 58.9%
Developing
1,388 · 27.9%
Challenging
559 · 11.2%
Advanced
94 · 1.9%

Often combined with

Checkmate · 4,969Middlegame tactics · 4,031Kingside attack · 2,087Sacrifice · 961Opening tactics · 821Queenside attack · 481Back-rank mate · 277Discovered attack · 242Clearance · 212Boden's mate · 204

Which openings produce them?

Caro–Kann Defence · 4,969

Counts computed from the full puzzle set.

How the solutions work · counted by a rules engine

What a typical mate in 2 solution looks like

Sample: 2,000 mate in 2 puzzles from Caro–Kann Defence games (40.2% of all 4,969).

100% need 2 solver moves. Median rating: 1137 for the shortest solutions, 1137 for the longest.

55.4% open with a queen move. The first move captures in 38.9% and gives check in 100%; 100% end in checkmate, 27.7% involve a sacrifice, 65.8% have White to move.

38.9%first move captures
100%first move gives check
100%end in checkmate
27.7%involve a sacrifice

How many moves does the solver need?

2 solver moves
100% · median rating 1137

Which piece plays the key move?

Key move by a queen
55.4%
Key move by a knight
18.9%
Key move by a bishop
14.3%
Key move by a rook
10%
Key move by a pawn
1.4%

What does the solver win?

Most valuable capture: pawn
35.7%
Captures nothing along the line
28.3%
Most valuable capture: knight
14%
Most valuable capture: rook
11.2%
Most valuable capture: bishop
6.1%
Most valuable capture: queen
4.6%

Material balance along the whole line, counting every capture by both sides (pawn 1, minor piece 3, rook 5, queen 9):

No material gained (mating or positional)
52.4%
Up to 2 pawns’ worth
28.8%
3–4 points (about a minor piece)
9.4%
5–8 points (a rook or more)
6.5%
9 or more points (a queen’s worth)
2.9%

How much is left on the board?

28 or more pieces on the board
16%
21–27 pieces
78.9%
13–20 pieces
5.1%
12 pieces or fewer
0%

How it is counted: every puzzle in the sample is replayed move by move with a chess rules engine. A sacrifice means a piece that is captured on the very next ply and was worth more than what it captured itself (pawn 1, minor piece 3, rook 5, queen 9). Sample of 2,000 puzzles. Percentages are shares of the sample.

Where it happens

Where the key move lands

Where the solver’s first move ends, drawn from their own side (rank 1 is their back rank). Busiest squares: h7 (14.4%), f6 (12.2%), f7 (9.2%), e6 (7.7%), d8 (6%).

2.464.71.11.18
1.31.51.69.21.314.47
2.352.87.712.251.96
15.25
1.51.54
3
2
1
abcdefgh

Counted from the same 2,000-puzzle sample. Squares under 1% are left blank.

Study positions

The most-solved mate in 2 puzzles, from each difficulty level. Play each one on the board, then open the answer for the full line.

♜♛♚♜
♟♟♟♟
♞♟♟
♝♟♙
♙♙
♘♙♙
♙♙♗
♖♕♔♖
Black to move · rating 1021 · solved 1,861 times · Mate in 2.
Reveal line

Opponent's last move: Nb3

Solution: Qh4+ → Kf1 → Qf2#

♜♚♝♜
♞♟♟♟
♟♞
♟♗♟♛
♕♟
♗
♙♘♙♙♙
♖♔♖
White to move · rating 1082 · solved 1,644 times · Mate in 2.
Reveal line

Opponent's last move: Rd8

Solution: Bxd7+ → Rxd7 → Rc8#

♜♛♚♜
♟♟♞♟♟
♞♟♟
♕
♟♘
♗♙
♙♙♙♙♙
♖♔♖
White to move · rating 1096 · solved 2,432 times · Mate in 2.
Reveal line

Opponent's last move: g6

Solution: Nf6+ → Kf8 → Qh6#

♜♚♜
♟♟♟♟
♟
♝♟♙♛
♙♙♙
♙♙♘♕♙
♖♖♔
Black to move · rating 1285 · solved 3,329 times · Mate in 2.
Reveal line

Opponent's last move: g3

Solution: Qxg3+ → Kh1 → Qxh3#

♜♚♝♜
♟♟♞♟♟
♟
♙♙♟♗♝
♛♘♟
♙♘
♙♙♙♙
♖♕♔♖
White to move · rating 1340 · solved 1,965 times · Mate in 2.
Reveal line

Opponent's last move: cxd4

Solution: Nd6+ → Bxd6 → Qxc8#

♚♜♝♜
♟♟♞♟♟♟
♟♝♟
♗
♘
♙♙♗♙♙♙
♖♖♔
White to move · rating 1418 · solved 2,467 times · Mate in 2.
Reveal line

Opponent's last move: Bg6

Solution: Rxc6+ → bxc6 → Ba6#

♜♜♚
♟♟♞♟♞
♟♖
♟♙
♙
♙♕
♙♛♙♙
♖♘♔
White to move · rating 1443 · solved 2,952 times · Mate in 2.
Reveal line

Opponent's last move: Nxg7

Solution: Rh6+ → Kg8 → Qh7#

♚♜♜
♟♟♞♟♟♟
♟♗♟
♙
♙♛
♞♗♕
♙♙♙
♖♖♔
White to move · rating 1725 · solved 1,365 times · Mate in 2.
Reveal line

Opponent's last move: Qd4

Solution: Qxc6+ → bxc6 → Ba6#

♚♜♜
♟♟♞♝♟♟
♟♝♟♟
♙
♙♙♗
♛♗♕
♙♙♙♙
♖♖♔
White to move · rating 1786 · solved 1,575 times · Mate in 2.
Reveal line

Opponent's last move: Qxc3

Solution: Qxc6+ → bxc6 → Ba6#

♚♜♜
♟♟♞♟♟
♟♟
♝♞
♕♗♗♛♙
♘
♙♙♙♙♙
♔♖♖
White to move · rating 1960 · solved 1,556 times · Mate in 2.
Reveal line

Opponent's last move: Qg4

Solution: Qxc6+ → bxc6 → Ba6#

♜♝♚♝♜
♟♟♞♟♟♟
♛♘
♞
♘♖♙♟
♙
♙♙♙♙
♕♖♔
White to move · rating 2005 · solved 541 times · Mate in 2.
Reveal line

Opponent's last move: Ne5

Solution: Nxb7+ → Ke8 → Qd8#

♜♗♚
♟♟♛♟♟
♟
♗♙♟
♙
♙♝
♘♙♞♙
♖♕♔♖
Black to move · rating 2383 · solved 481 times · Mate in 2.
Reveal line

Opponent's last move: Bxf8

Solution: Nh4+ → Ke1 → Nf3#

Positions and move sequences come from real rated games (CC0 data). Engine evaluations, where shown, are stored evaluations of the position (CC0).

Same opening, other tactics

More puzzles from the Caro–Kann Defence

Middlegame tacticsCheckmateMate in 1Opening tacticsKingside attackForkDiscovered attackPinSacrifice

Same theme, other levels

Mate in 2 puzzles by difficulty

Advanced levelChallenging levelDeveloping levelFoundation level