Mate in 3 Chess Puzzles
Find a forced checkmate in three moves. Every position comes from a real game, with the opponent’s best defences played for you.
What is a mate in 3 puzzle?
A mate in 3 puzzle has a forced checkmate in exactly three of your moves, whatever your opponent replies. The first move is usually a check or a quiet move that leaves no escape, and many solutions start with a sacrifice that opens the king. New to the idea? Read the checkmate patterns lesson first, then come back to practise.
The 25 puzzles on this page
Every position is taken from a real game in the Lichess puzzle database (CC0). Puzzle ratings range from 670 to 2305, with a median of 1534. Ratings describe how hard the puzzle is, not your playing strength.
| Group | Puzzles | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Beginner | 8 | 32% |
| Intermediate | 7 | 28% |
| Advanced | 10 | 40% |
| Opening | 0 | 0% |
| Middlegame | 14 | 56% |
| Endgame | 11 | 44% |
How to solve mate in 3 puzzles
- Start with every check, then every capture, then quiet moves that cut off the king.
- Picture the final mating position first and work backwards to the first move.
- After each of your moves, find the opponent’s best defence, not the most convenient one.
- If a sacrifice is part of the line, count only forcing replies; a mate in 3 leaves no time for loose moves.
Use a hint only after you have a candidate move. If you needed the solution, retry the puzzle later from memory; that is when the pattern sticks.
Frequently asked questions
What does mate in 3 mean?
It means the side to move can force checkmate in three of its own moves against any defence.
Are mate in 3 puzzles harder than mate in 2?
Usually, because you must calculate one more full move for both sides. Start with mate in 2 if these feel too hard.
How should I calculate a mate in 3?
Look at checks first, find the opponent’s best reply to each, and only accept a line when every defence still loses to mate.
More puzzles
Fork puzzles · Pin puzzles · Skewer puzzles · Discovered attack puzzles · Sacrifice puzzles · Deflection puzzles · Mate in 2 · Hard puzzles · All 720 puzzles. Found a tactic in your own game? Check it on the analysis board.