Puzzles by theme
Practise one idea until you see it everywhere. Theme puzzles are rated, like the main set.
- Mate in 1 One move ends the game. Check every check.
- Mate in 2 A forcing move, then mate: look at checks and captures first.
- Mate in 3 Three forcing moves to mate. Calculate the whole line before you move.
- Back-rank mate The king is shut in by its own pawns; a rook or queen on the last rank mates.
- Smothered mate A knight mates a king hemmed in by its own pieces.
- Anastasia's mate A knight and a rook or queen trap the king on the edge.
- Arabian mate A rook and a knight mate a king in the corner.
- Hook mate Rook, knight and pawn hook around the king.
- Boden's mate Two bishops on crossing diagonals mate a castled king.
- Double bishop mate Two bishops on neighbouring diagonals leave the king no square.
- Dovetail mate The queen mates a king whose escape squares are blocked by its own pieces.
- Fork One piece attacks two at once, and only one can be saved.
- Pin A piece cannot move without exposing something more valuable behind it.
- Skewer Attack a valuable piece so that it moves and uncovers the one behind it.
- Discovered attack Move one piece out of the way and let the piece behind it strike.
- Double check Two pieces give check at once: only the king can answer.
- Deflection Pull a defender away from the square or piece it guards.
- Attraction Lure a piece, often the king, onto a square where it can be hit.
- Clearance Move a piece away, with tempo, to open a square or a line for another.
- Interference Put a piece between a defender and what it defends.
- In-between move Before the expected recapture, a stronger move in between.
- Hanging piece Something is left undefended. Take it.
- Trapped piece A piece with no safe square: attack it and win it.
- Remove the defender Capture the piece that holds the position together.
- Sacrifice Give material to get something bigger back.
- Quiet move No check, no capture, and still the strongest move on the board.
- Defensive move The only move that saves the position.
- X-ray attack A piece attacks or defends through another piece.
- Exposed king The king has lost its cover: bring everything at it.
- Kingside attack Break open the castled king.
- Attacking f2 or f7 The square next to the king that only the king defends.
- Promotion Get a pawn to the last rank.
- Underpromotion Promote to a knight, rook or bishop because the queen would not do.
- Advanced pawn A pawn near promotion decides the game.
- En passant The capture of a pawn that just moved two squares.
- Castling Castling as the strongest move.
- Zugzwang The opponent would rather pass: every move makes things worse.
- Pawn endgame Kings and pawns: count the tempi.
- Rook endgame The most common endgame: activity first.
- Queen endgame Queens on the board: checks and king safety.
- Knight endgame Knights and pawns: knights are slow, so plan ahead.
- Bishop endgame Bishops and pawns: the colour of the squares matters.
- Opening tactics Tricks that punish early mistakes.