Real positions. Quiet practice.
Printable Back-rank mate Puzzles
Search 49,500 locally indexed real-game positions, narrow them by motif, difficulty or rating, then play each stored tactical line directly on the board without an upstream connection.
Printable worksheet
12 back-rank mate puzzles, every difficulty, with answer key
The back-rank mate strikes a king trapped behind its own unmoved pawns. A rook or queen lands on the last rank, and the shelter becomes a cage.
Positions from the Lichess open puzzle database (CC0). The answer key prints on the last page.
Back-rank mate — chess puzzle worksheet
Name: ______________ Date: ______________
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Answer key
- Puzzle 0aPmG: d1d5 → c8c1 → d5d1 → c1d1 (the first move is the opponent’s setup move)
- Puzzle 0IStJ: e1e5 → b8b1 → e5e1 → b1e1 (the first move is the opponent’s setup move)
- Puzzle 0qQ4h: d1d4 → b8b1 → d4d1 → b1d1 (the first move is the opponent’s setup move)
- Puzzle 0FVc0: b7c8 → c1c8 (the first move is the opponent’s setup move)
- Puzzle 007mr: d4e4 → d5d1 → e1d1 → d7d1 (the first move is the opponent’s setup move)
- Puzzle 0UM8W: c3c2 → d4d8 → c8d8 → d1d8 (the first move is the opponent’s setup move)
- Puzzle 0AxSa: b4e7 → b8b1 → e2c1 → b1c1 → f3e1 → c1e1 (the first move is the opponent’s setup move)
- Puzzle 05c3K: c8d7 → c6e7 → g8h8 → a8f8 (the first move is the opponent’s setup move)
- Puzzle 0660Y: f4c7 → e6e8 → d8e8 → d7e8q (the first move is the opponent’s setup move)
- Puzzle 04hNb: f3e5 → f6f2 → g1h1 → f2f1 → d1f1 → f8f1 (the first move is the opponent’s setup move)
- Puzzle 0CBpH: c3e2 → d2d1 → c1d1 → c2d1q (the first move is the opponent’s setup move)
- Puzzle 2GWtd: g7h6 → g4g7 → e6g7 → f7f8 → a8f8 → f1f8 (the first move is the opponent’s setup move)
Source: Lichess open puzzle database · database.lichess.org · CC0