# Mate in 1 chess puzzles Mate in 1 means one move ends the game. Find the checkmate. Try five right here, one from each belt, then download 100 more as a printable PDF with answers. HTML version: https://remarkablechess.com/mate-in-1-chess-puzzles ## Try five mate in one puzzles 1. White belt, rating 760. White to move. Checkmate in one. FEN: `rnq2rk1/ppp1bpp1/4b2p/4P1N1/1Pp5/2P1BN2/P1Q2PPP/R2R2K1 w - - 0 16` 2. Yellow belt, rating 1092. Black to move. Checkmate in one. FEN: `r3k1nr/ppp2ppp/8/8/4P3/2Pn1Qq1/PP1P2B1/RNB2K1R b kq - 5 13` 3. Orange belt, rating 1425. Black to move. Checkmate in one. FEN: `2kr2nN/pbp5/1p3p2/4n3/2B2Bq1/2QP4/PPP3P1/R4RK1 b - - 0 18` 4. Brown belt, rating 1803. White to move. Checkmate in one. FEN: `r4b1r/2q1k3/p3ppQn/np6/1p1Bb3/1B2P3/P1P2PPP/R2R3K w - - 0 21` 5. Black belt, rating 2169. Black to move. Checkmate in one. FEN: `r7/5rk1/n6p/8/KPp1PP1B/6P1/7P/3RR3 b - - 0 29` ## Answers 1. **Qh7#** Queen to h7, checkmate. ([Lichess puzzle](https://lichess.org/training/0Ikf2)) 2. **Qe1#** Queen to e1, checkmate. ([Lichess puzzle](https://lichess.org/training/0DEHX)) 3. **Qxg2#** Queen takes g2, checkmate. ([Lichess puzzle](https://lichess.org/training/0c9cV)) 4. **Bxf6#** Bishop takes f6, checkmate. ([Lichess puzzle](https://lichess.org/training/3UcYQ)) 5. **Nc7#** Knight to c7, checkmate. ([Lichess puzzle](https://lichess.org/training/fGswg)) ## Mate in 1 PDFs for every belt 100 puzzles per PDF, one per page, the answer on the next. Print on A4 or Letter, or open on a tablet. - White belt (Mate in 1 for beginners, rating 400–800), Vol 1: [landing page](https://remarkablechess.com/sets/mate-in-one-beginners-vol-1), [PDF](https://remarkablechess.com/assets/sets/mate-in-one-beginners-vol-1.pdf) - White belt (Mate in 1 for beginners, rating 400–800), Vol 2: [landing page](https://remarkablechess.com/sets/mate-in-one-beginners-vol-2), [PDF](https://remarkablechess.com/assets/sets/mate-in-one-beginners-vol-2.pdf) - Yellow belt (Mate in 1 for improving beginners, rating 800–1200), Vol 1: [landing page](https://remarkablechess.com/sets/mate-in-one-novice-vol-1), [PDF](https://remarkablechess.com/assets/sets/mate-in-one-novice-vol-1.pdf) - Yellow belt (Mate in 1 for improving beginners, rating 800–1200), Vol 2: [landing page](https://remarkablechess.com/sets/mate-in-one-novice-vol-2), [PDF](https://remarkablechess.com/assets/sets/mate-in-one-novice-vol-2.pdf) - Orange belt (Mate in 1 for casual players, rating 1200–1600), Vol 1: [landing page](https://remarkablechess.com/sets/mate-in-one-club-vol-1), [PDF](https://remarkablechess.com/assets/sets/mate-in-one-club-vol-1.pdf) - Orange belt (Mate in 1 for casual players, rating 1200–1600), Vol 2: [landing page](https://remarkablechess.com/sets/mate-in-one-club-vol-2), [PDF](https://remarkablechess.com/assets/sets/mate-in-one-club-vol-2.pdf) - Brown belt (Mate in 1 for strong players, rating 1600–2000), Vol 1: [landing page](https://remarkablechess.com/sets/mate-in-one-advanced-vol-1), [PDF](https://remarkablechess.com/assets/sets/mate-in-one-advanced-vol-1.pdf) - Brown belt (Mate in 1 for strong players, rating 1600–2000), Vol 2: [landing page](https://remarkablechess.com/sets/mate-in-one-advanced-vol-2), [PDF](https://remarkablechess.com/assets/sets/mate-in-one-advanced-vol-2.pdf) - Black belt (Mate in 1 for experts, rating 2000–2500), Vol 1: [landing page](https://remarkablechess.com/sets/mate-in-one-expert-vol-1), [PDF](https://remarkablechess.com/assets/sets/mate-in-one-expert-vol-1.pdf) - Black belt (Mate in 1 for experts, rating 2000–2500), Vol 2: [landing page](https://remarkablechess.com/sets/mate-in-one-expert-vol-2), [PDF](https://remarkablechess.com/assets/sets/mate-in-one-expert-vol-2.pdf) ## What is a mate in one puzzle? A mate in one (often written mate in 1, or M1) is a position where the side to move can checkmate in a single move. At White belt the move is often a queen or rook landing next to the king. Higher belts hide it better: a quiet bishop move, a knight jump, or a capture that looks like a mistake. Because there is only one move to find, mate in 1 is the best way to train your eye for checkmate patterns. ## Where the puzzles come from Every puzzle comes from a real game in the Lichess open puzzle database and has been played by Lichess players, which is how it got its rating. We pick them by rating, so each belt is a step up from the last. ## How to use the PDFs Each PDF has 100 puzzles, one per page, with a small grid under the board to write your moves. Turn the page and the answer is at the top. Print on A4 or Letter in black and white, or open it on a tablet and write on it with the pen. ## Questions ### Are these mate in 1 puzzles free? Yes. The Mate in 1 PDFs here are free to download, no account or signup. ### Are the answers included? Yes. Every puzzle has its own page, and the answer is at the top of the next page, so you can check yourself without seeing the next puzzle. ### Which belt should I start with? New to chess puzzles? White belt. If you have a Lichess or Chess.com puzzle rating, match it: White 400–800, Yellow 800–1200, Orange 1200–1600, Brown 1600–2000, Black 2000–2500. When in doubt, start one belt lower. ### Do I need to be good at chess? No. You need to know how the pieces move and what checkmate is. That's it. Mate in 1 is where most people start with chess puzzles, kids included. ### What comes after mate in 1? Mate in 2. You find a checkmate that takes two of your moves, so you have to think about the reply in between. It's the natural next step once mate in 1 feels easy.