Tactics · Learn
Mate in One
The whole game aims at this: delivering checkmate: a check the king cannot escape, block, or capture its way out of. Seeing mate in one instantly is the foundation for seeing it in two, three, and more.
How to spot it: for every check you can give, ask the three escape questions: can the king move? can a piece block? can the checker be captured? If the answer to all three is no, it's mate.
How to spot it: for every check you can give, ask the three escape questions: can the king move? can a piece block? can the checker be captured? If the answer to all three is no, it's mate.
Now spot it yourself
A real position: find the move. This is exactly what the drills in the app do, banded from beginner to expert.
How this lesson is made: this public explanation comes from the authored Strong Squares curriculum. Automated checks protect its chess data, source fields and learning flow. Independent chess-editor approval remains part of the private-preview release process. Read the teaching method.