A back rank mate happens when a king is stuck on its first rank, usually behind its own pawns, and a rook or queen checks it along that rank. The pawns that sheltered the king become its prison.
It is one of the most common checkmates in real games, at every level. These puzzles show the pattern and the tricks that set it up: deflecting a defender, overloading a rook, or a sacrifice that clears the way.
The side to move is at the bottom of each board. White’s pieces are gold and Black’s are stone, drawn as the biblical figures of Bible Chess: the queen is a Judge, the rook a Tower, the bishop a Prophet, the knight a Scout and the pawns are Shepherds.
7
654321
abcdefghWhite: king g1, queen f1. Black: king h8, pawn h7.
Your queen moves first, with check.
1. Qf8#
Based on Lichess puzzle 0119E (CC0)
2
34
5678hgfedcbaWhite: king h1, queen d3, pawns g2 and h2. Black: king g8, queen h4.
Your queen moves first, with check.
1... Qe1+ 2. Qf1 Qxf1#
Based on Lichess puzzle 04qGt (CC0)
7
654321
abcdefghWhite: king g1, rook f1, bishop d7. Black: king g8, pawns g7 and h7.
Your bishop moves first, with check.
1. Be6+ Kh8 2. Rf8#
Based on Lichess puzzle 0twIp (CC0)
234
5678
hgfedcbaWhite: king f1, pawns f2, g2 and h2. Black: king f8, rook e8, knight e4.
Your knight moves first, with check.
1... Nd2+ 2. Kg1 Re1#
Based on Lichess puzzle 0lrGu (CC0)
34
5678hgfedcbaWhite: king d2, pawn c2. Black: king e6, rook e3, bishop d4, pawn f4.
Your bishop moves first, with check.
1... Bc3+ 2. Kd1 Re1#
Based on Lichess puzzle 062su (CC0)
2345678hgfedcbaWhite: king h1, rook f4. Black: king h3, rook b2.
Your rook moves first, with check.
1... Rb1+ 2. Rf1 Rxf1#
Based on Lichess puzzle 0B3FO (CC0)
2345678hgfedcbaWhite: king g1, pawns f2 and h2. Black: king h8, queen f7, rook f8.
Your queen moves first, with check.
1... Qxf2+ 2. Kh1 Qf1#
Based on Lichess puzzle 0Flnz (CC0)
345678hgfedcbaWhite: king h2, rook g3, pawn f2. Black: king g8, queen g4, bishop f3, pawn g7.
Your queen moves first, with check.
1... Qh4+ 2. Kg1 Qh1#
Based on Lichess puzzle 02T16 (CC0)
6
54321abcdefghWhite: king e1, queen g4, knight e6, pawn e5. Black: king f7, bishop d7, pawn d5.
Your queen moves first, with check.
1. Qg7+ Ke8 2. Qf8#
Based on Lichess puzzle 07xqL (CC0)
7654321abcdefghWhite: king g1, queen d3, rook d2, bishop e3. Black: king c8, rooks e6 and e8, pawns b7 and c7.
Your queen moves first, with check.
1. Qd7+ Kb8 2. Qd8+ Rxd8 3. Rxd8#
Based on Lichess puzzle 06Fqx (CC0)
7654321abcdefghWhite: king g1, queen f2, rook f1, bishop h6. Black: king g8, bishop e7, knight e5, pawn h7.
Your queen moves first, with check.
1. Qf8+ Bxf8 2. Rxf8#
Based on Lichess puzzle 0ALqQ (CC0)
654321abcdefghWhite: king f2, queen d2, knight d4, pawn e5. Black: king e7, pawns e6, f7 and g7.
Your knight moves first, with check.
1. Nc6+ Kf8 2. Qd8#
Based on Lichess puzzle 0bzkR (CC0)
7654321abcdefghWhite: king g1, queen e7, rook f1. Black: king h8, rooks f2 and f8, pawns g7 and h7.
Your queen moves first, with check.
1. Qxf8+ Rxf8 2. Rxf8#
Based on Lichess puzzle 0XWpB (CC0)
2345678hgfedcbaWhite: king g1, rook f1, pawns f2, g2 and h2. Black: king g6, queen f6, rook d2, bishop d4.
Your queen moves first, with check.
1... Qxf2+ 2. Rxf2 Rd1#
Based on Lichess puzzle 03ssN (CC0)
2345678hgfedcbaWhite: king e1, rook c1, bishop f1, pawn f2. Black: king e7, rook d8, bishop g4, knight b4.
Your knight moves first, with check.
1... Nc2+ 2. Rxc2 Rd1#
Based on Lichess puzzle 00qk4 (CC0)
2345678hgfedcbaWhite: king h1, rook b4, pawn h2. Black: king f5, rook g6, bishop f1, pawn e3.
Your bishop moves first, with check.
1... Bg2+ 2. Kg1 Be4+ 3. Kf1 Bd3+ 4. Ke1 Rg1#
Based on Lichess puzzle 7KUEn (CC0)
A checkmate by a rook or queen on the king’s first rank, when the king is blocked in by its own pieces, usually pawns.
Give your king an escape square by moving a pawn in front of it, such as h3 (or h6 for Black), or keep a rook or queen guarding your back rank.
