Real positions. Quiet practice.
Printable Smothered 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 smothered mate puzzles, every difficulty, with answer key
A lone knight mates a king completely boxed in by its own pieces. The classic finish sacrifices the queen on g8 or g1 to force the final self-blockade.
Positions from the Lichess open puzzle database (CC0). The answer key prints on the last page.
Smothered mate — chess puzzle worksheet
Name: ______________ Date: ______________
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Answer key
- Puzzle 0R0hX: f8d8 → h6f7 (the first move is the opponent’s setup move)
- Puzzle 0HwlA: d1g1 → h3f2 (the first move is the opponent’s setup move)
- Puzzle 0MfsV: c8b8 → a6c7 (the first move is the opponent’s setup move)
- Puzzle 0O4JU: d8g8 → h6f7 (the first move is the opponent’s setup move)
- Puzzle 0LIia: f3g1 → h3f2 (the first move is the opponent’s setup move)
- Puzzle 08zS8: g8h8 → e1e8 → h6g8 → d6f7 (the first move is the opponent’s setup move)
- Puzzle 00Tmr: f8g8 → h6f7 (the first move is the opponent’s setup move)
- Puzzle 0ETW8: b7d5 → d6f7 (the first move is the opponent’s setup move)
- Puzzle 0SSPW: g7g6 → f5d6 (the first move is the opponent’s setup move)
- Puzzle 0IkwS: g8e7 → e4d6 (the first move is the opponent’s setup move)
- Puzzle 00wPZ: e5f3 → f2g1 → f3g1 → e4f2 (the first move is the opponent’s setup move)
- Puzzle 0BSZ7: c3d5 → d4e2 → g1h1 → b6g1 → f1g1 → g4f2 (the first move is the opponent’s setup move)
Source: Lichess open puzzle database · database.lichess.org · CC0