How to use beginner chess puzzles
- The opponent makes a move, often a mistake that leaves something for you to win. Your side is at the bottom of the board.
- Find the best move: win a piece that isn’t defended, attack two things at once, or give checkmate. Click or drag the piece to play it.
- Stuck? Hint shows which piece to move. A wrong move is taken back so you can try again.
Five ideas every beginner should know
- A piece that’s attacked and not defended is free to take, so always check what you can capture for nothing.
- A fork is one piece attacking two at once, often a knight attacking the king and a rook.
- A pin holds a piece in place because moving it would expose a more valuable piece behind it.
- Back-rank mate catches a king stuck behind its own pawns: a rook or queen on the back rank mates it.
- To checkmate with queen and king, give check with the queen right next to the king, protected so it can’t be taken.
How to practice
Doing a few puzzles on most days keeps the patterns fresh. After each one, explain to yourself what the move won and why it works, because that’s how the pattern sticks. Then use the same ideas in your own games: before every move, ask whether you can take something for free, and whether your opponent can.
About these puzzles
These are short, low-rated puzzles from real games, taken from the public-domain Lichess puzzle database. Each was checked by a chess engine and played at least a thousand times.