Bible Chess

Mate in 3 Chess Puzzles with Answers

16 puzzles · rated 1119 to 1999 · answers under each board

Mate in 3 is where calculation starts. You need to see your move, the reply, your second move, the next reply and the final blow.

Most of these combinations begin with a check or a sacrifice that leaves the defender few choices. Follow the forcing moves and the line becomes clear.

How to solve them

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.

Puzzle 1: White to move, mate in 3

MediumRating 1119

White: king g3, rook d8, knight f7, pawns f3 and g4. Black: king h7, knight f6, pawn g7.

Hint

Your rook moves first, with check.

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1. Rh8+ Kg6 2. Ne5+ Kg5 3. f4#

  1. Rook d8 to h8, check. Black answers: king h7 to g6.
  2. Knight f7 to e5, check. Black answers: king g6 to g5.
  3. Pawn f3 to f4. Checkmate!

Based on Lichess puzzle 07hFo (CC0)

Puzzle 2: White to move, mate in 3

MediumRating 1244

White: king g1, queen f6, rook d1, bishop d5. Black: king g8, rook f8, pawns g6, f7 and h7.

Hint

Your bishop moves first, with check.

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1. Bxf7+ Rxf7 2. Rd8+ Rf8 3. Qxf8#

  1. Bishop d5 to f7, taking the pawn, check. Black answers: rook f8 to f7, taking the bishop.
  2. Rook d1 to d8, check. Black answers: rook f7 to f8.
  3. Queen f6 to f8, taking the rook. Checkmate!

Based on Lichess puzzle 0FWHB (CC0)

Puzzle 3: White to move, mate in 3

MediumRating 1303

White: king h1, queen f3, rooks f1 and e3. Black: king g8, rook f8, pawns f7, g7 and h7.

Hint

Your queen moves first, with check.

Show the answer

1. Qxf7+ Rxf7 2. Re8+ Rf8 3. Rfxf8#

  1. Queen f3 to f7, taking the pawn, check. Black answers: rook f8 to f7, taking the queen.
  2. Rook e3 to e8, check. Black answers: rook f7 to f8.
  3. Rook f1 to f8, taking the rook. Checkmate!

Based on Lichess puzzle 0AhhO (CC0)

Puzzle 4: White to move, mate in 3

MediumRating 1318

White: king h1, queen d5, knight f7. Black: king g8, rook f8, bishop g7, pawn h7.

Hint

Your knight moves first, with check.

Show the answer

1. Nh6+ Kh8 2. Qg8+ Rxg8 3. Nf7#

  1. Knight f7 to h6, check. Black answers: king g8 to h8.
  2. Queen d5 to g8, check. Black answers: rook f8 to g8, taking the queen.
  3. Knight h6 to f7. Checkmate!

Based on Lichess puzzle 2Fa6s (CC0)

Puzzle 5: White to move, mate in 3

MediumRating 1367

White: king f6, bishops g5 and e8. Black: king g8, bishop f5, pawn h7.

Hint

Your bishop moves first, with check.

Show the answer

1. Bf7+ Kh8 2. Bh6 Bg6 3. Bg7#

  1. Bishop e8 to f7, check. Black answers: king g8 to h8.
  2. Bishop g5 to h6. Black answers: bishop f5 to g6.
  3. Bishop h6 to g7. Checkmate!

Based on Lichess puzzle 3RnPj (CC0)

Puzzle 6: White to move, mate in 3

MediumRating 1400

White: king h4, queen d6, pawn f6. Black: king f7, bishop e4, pawns e6 and h7.

Hint

Your queen moves first, with check.

Show the answer

1. Qe7+ Kg6 2. Qg7+ Kf5 3. Qg5#

  1. Queen d6 to e7, check. Black answers: king f7 to g6.
  2. Queen e7 to g7, check. Black answers: king g6 to f5.
  3. Queen g7 to g5. Checkmate!

Based on Lichess puzzle 0Bs2b (CC0)

Puzzle 7: White to move, mate in 3

MediumRating 1464

White: king g2, rooks f3 and g7, bishop f7, pawn f6. Black: king h8, queen e1, rook f8, pawn h7.

Hint

Your rook moves first, with check.

Show the answer

1. Rxh7+ Kxh7 2. Rh3+ Qh4 3. Rxh4#

  1. Rook g7 to h7, taking the pawn, check. Black answers: king h8 to h7, taking the rook.
  2. Rook f3 to h3, check. Black answers: queen e1 to h4.
  3. Rook h3 to h4, taking the queen. Checkmate!

Based on Lichess puzzle 03ylE (CC0)

Puzzle 8: Black to move, mate in 3

MediumRating 1489

White: king h2, rook g1, pawns g2 and h3. Black: king h6, queen f5, rook g7, knight f4.

Hint

Your rook moves first, with check.

Show the answer

1... Rxg2+ 2. Rxg2 Qxh3+ 3. Kg1 Qxg2#

  1. Rook g7 to g2, taking the pawn, check. White answers: rook g1 to g2, taking the rook.
  2. Queen f5 to h3, taking the pawn, check. White answers: king h2 to g1.
  3. Queen h3 to g2, taking the rook. Checkmate!

Based on Lichess puzzle 07Hm3 (CC0)

Puzzle 9: Black to move, mate in 3

HardRating 1546

White: king h1, queen e2, rook g1, pawns g2 and h2. Black: king g8, queen g5, knight e4.

Hint

Your knight moves first, with check.

Show the answer

1... Ng3+ 2. hxg3 Qh6+ 3. Qh5 Qxh5#

  1. Knight e4 to g3, check. White answers: pawn h2 to g3, taking the knight.
  2. Queen g5 to h6, check. White answers: queen e2 to h5.
  3. Queen h6 to h5, taking the queen. Checkmate!

Based on Lichess puzzle 0Lw53 (CC0)

Puzzle 10: White to move, mate in 3

HardRating 1623

White: king g1, queen e6, knight f7. Black: king g8, rook f8, bishop g7, pawn h7.

Hint

Your knight moves first, with check.

Show the answer

1. Nh6+ Kh8 2. Qg8+ Rxg8 3. Nf7#

  1. Knight f7 to h6, check. Black answers: king g8 to h8.
  2. Queen e6 to g8, check. Black answers: rook f8 to g8, taking the queen.
  3. Knight h6 to f7. Checkmate!

Based on Lichess puzzle 4wSkP (CC0)

Puzzle 11: White to move, mate in 3

HardRating 1657

White: king d1, queen e2, rook f1. Black: king g8, knight h7, pawn g7.

Hint

Your queen moves first, with check.

Show the answer

1. Qe8+ Nf8 2. Rxf8+ Kh7 3. Rh8#

  1. Queen e2 to e8, check. Black answers: knight h7 to f8.
  2. Rook f1 to f8, taking the knight, check. Black answers: king g8 to h7.
  3. Rook f8 to h8. Checkmate!

Based on Lichess puzzle 0Bc8V (CC0)

Puzzle 12: White to move, mate in 3

HardRating 1726

White: king h2, queen e7, knight d6. Black: king g8, queen b6, knight f6, pawn h7.

Hint

Your queen moves first, with check.

Show the answer

1. Qf7+ Kh8 2. Qf8+ Ng8 3. Nf7#

  1. Queen e7 to f7, check. Black answers: king g8 to h8.
  2. Queen f7 to f8, check. Black answers: knight f6 to g8.
  3. Knight d6 to f7. Checkmate!

Based on Lichess puzzle 13QJN (CC0)

Puzzle 13: Black to move, mate in 3

HardRating 1753

White: king g1, queen f7, pawns f2 and g3. Black: king h7, queen g4, rook h2, pawns f3 and g7.

Hint

Your rook moves first, with check.

Show the answer

1... Rh1+ 2. Kxh1 Qh3+ 3. Kg1 Qg2#

  1. Rook h2 to h1, check. White answers: king g1 to h1, taking the rook.
  2. Queen g4 to h3, check. White answers: king h1 to g1.
  3. Queen h3 to g2. Checkmate!

Based on Lichess puzzle 0J7JM (CC0)

Puzzle 14: Black to move, mate in 3

HardRating 1832

White: king h4, pawns g3 and h3. Black: king f5, pawns h6 and g7.

Hint

Your pawn moves first, and it is not a check.

Show the answer

1... g6 2. g4+ Kf4 3. g5 hxg5#

  1. Pawn g7 to g6. White answers: pawn g3 to g4, check.
  2. King f5 to f4. White answers: pawn g4 to g5.
  3. Pawn h6 to g5, taking the pawn. Checkmate!

Based on Lichess puzzle MjAZh (CC0)

Puzzle 15: White to move, mate in 3

HardRating 1886

White: king g1, queen g6, rook f1, bishop h6. Black: king h8, queen h4, rook g8.

Hint

Your bishop moves first, with check.

Show the answer

1. Bg7+ Rxg7 2. Rf8+ Rg8 3. Qxg8#

  1. Bishop h6 to g7, check. Black answers: rook g8 to g7, taking the bishop.
  2. Rook f1 to f8, check. Black answers: rook g7 to g8.
  3. Queen g6 to g8, taking the rook. Checkmate!

Based on Lichess puzzle 0N0M1 (CC0)

Puzzle 16: White to move, mate in 3

Very hardRating 1999

White: king f2, knight h5, pawns a2 and b2. Black: king h1, knight f5, pawns h2, c4 and a5.

Hint

Your pawn moves first, and it is not a check.

Show the answer

1. a4 c3 2. b3 Nh4 3. Ng3#

  1. Pawn a2 to a4. Black answers: pawn c4 to c3.
  2. Pawn b2 to b3. Black answers: knight f5 to h4.
  3. Knight h5 to g3. Checkmate!

Based on Lichess puzzle LtzSZ (CC0)

Questions

How hard are mate in 3 puzzles?

For most club players they are where puzzles stop being instant. The ratings on this page show how hard each one is.

What if my opponent plays a different move?

The answer shows the strongest defence. Any other reply gets mated just as fast or faster.

More chess puzzles