Mating patterns
Five checkmates that recur constantly in club games. Each is mate in one — the work is recognising which pattern is on the board.
Round 1 of 3 · puzzle 1 of 5
0:00Back rank mate
White to move · mate in one
♚
♟
♟
♟
♜
♚
The king is stuck behind its own pawns.
How this set is scored
You solve all 5 puzzles, then solve the same 5 again, 3 times in total. Each round is timed from its first puzzle to its last, and the timer does not pause.
At the end you get the three round times side by side. The percentage is how much faster the last round was than the first — which is the closest thing to a measurement of whether the patterns have actually stuck. Using “show me” on a puzzle does not count it as solved.