Mate in 3 chess puzzles
Play and solve mate-in-three-moves chess puzzles. You’ll find solutions and historical details and you can play each puzzle live against the computer.

Think This Is Too easy?
This situation seems ridiculously easy. The black king is in such a dire situation that deafeat is inevitable – but – can White mate in just three moves?

Mate in Three with a Promotion
An interesting puzzle composed by Niels Hoeg in 1905 and featuring promotions: White can mate (win) in three moves. Can you find the right solution?

Kasparov Mates in 3
This position is from Garry Kasparov vs Elmar Magerramov, USSR, 1982. Kasparov checkmated Elmar in 3 moves. Can you do that?
Difficulty
- Easy Chess Puzzles (21)
- Moderate Chess Puzzles (86)
- Hard Chess Puzzles (36)
Mate in
Player
Recent Articles
- Overlooking Chess’s Past While Chronicling Its Present
- Chess in Georgia and Washington (May 2026)
- 2026 President’s Cup and Women’s President’s Cup: College Chess Championships
- Chess and Poker: Jennifer Shahade Returns to US Chess
- Tools of the Chess Trade
- GM Jan Timman’s Last Book
- International Chess Players in Texas
- Bobby Fischer’s Chess Queen: A Review