Chess Puzzle Rush
Solve as many puzzles as you can before the clock runs out. They start easy and get harder. Three mistakes and the run is over.
Puzzle rush is a timed tactics drill. You get a stream of chess puzzles, easiest first, and your score is the number you solve before time runs out or you make three mistakes. It uses the same 720 puzzles as our puzzle trainer, rated 611 to 2392, from real games in the Lichess database.
How puzzle rush works
- Pick a mode. 3 minutes, 5 minutes, or Survival with no clock.
- Find the best move. The opponent’s last move is highlighted. Drag a piece, or tap it and then its square.
- Keep going. In longer puzzles the reply is played for you; find the next move too.
- Review the run. At the end, open any puzzle on the analysis board to see what you missed.
A wrong move costs one of your three lives and moves you straight to the next puzzle. Any move that delivers checkmate counts as correct, even if it differs from the stored solution. Your best score for each mode is saved in this browser only; there is no account and no public leaderboard.
Which mode to choose
| Mode | Ends when | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| 3 minutes | The clock reaches zero or you make 3 mistakes | Fast pattern recognition, a quick daily warm-up |
| 5 minutes | The clock reaches zero or you make 3 mistakes | Reaching the harder puzzles with time to calculate |
| Survival | You make 3 mistakes | Accuracy over speed, and longer combinations |
How to score higher
- Look at checks, captures and threats first. Most early puzzles are won by a forcing move.
- Read the opponent’s last move. It is highlighted because it usually created the weakness you need to exploit.
- Slow down as ratings rise. A mistake costs more than a few seconds; losing a life early caps your score.
- Train the patterns you miss. If the same idea keeps beating you, practise it on its own: forks, pins, skewers or mate in 2.
Rush or regular puzzles?
A rush trains speed: spotting a familiar pattern quickly, as you need to in faster games. Untimed puzzles train depth: calculating a line to the end and checking the defence. Use both. If your rush score stops improving, spend a few sessions on hard puzzles without a clock, then come back.
Questions
Is puzzle rush free?
Yes. No account or download is needed.
Are the puzzles the same every time?
No. Each run picks puzzles at random within each rating band, so the order changes while the difficulty still climbs steadily.
Does my score change a rating?
No. There is no rating here. Puzzle ratings measure how hard a puzzle is, not your playing strength.
Where does my best score go?
It is saved in this browser’s storage. Clearing site data or switching device starts you from zero.