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    Mate in one, against the clock

    Ready

    Every position has a checkmate in one move. Play it on the board.

    A move that is not mate costs 3 seconds.

    How to spot a mate in one

    1. Look at every check you can give, with every piece.
    2. For each check, ask three things: can the king move away, can the checking piece be taken, can something block?
    3. If the answer to all three is no, that check is mate.

    Puzzles: the Lichess puzzle database, free for anyone to use (CC0).

    More free chess tools

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    Mate in one FAQs

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Any move that gives checkmate. Some positions have more than one, and all of them count.

    You lose 3 seconds and stay on the same position until you find the mate or skip it. Positions you missed or skipped are listed at the end so you can look at them again.

    From the Lichess puzzle database, which is free for anyone to use. They come from real games, and each one was checked by a program before it went in.

    Yes. A run starts with the easiest positions and climbs as you solve more, so a higher score also means harder checkmates.