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Back-Rank Mate: chess tactic

The king, trapped by its own pawns

The castled king sits behind its own pawns, safe until the back rank goes undefended. Then a rook or queen slides in for mate.

Only pawns defending the back rank. Danger.
Push the rook's pawn one square for an escape (luft).
Check the back rank before every trade.

Back-Rank Mate

TACTIC · LEVEL 2

Back-Rank Mate

The king, trapped by its own pawns

Solve Lesson · Learn → Drill

10 engine-verified positions, 3 guided, then solve cold.

Step 1 of 5

Back-Rank Mate

The idea

33.Knight to e7, check (Ne7+)

Only pawns defending the back rank. Danger.

The idea

34.Knight captures on f7, check (Nxf7+)

Knight captures on f7, check (Nxf7+)

The idea

35.Rook to d8, check (Rd8+)

Rook to d8, check (Rd8+)

The idea

36.Rook captures on f8, mate (Rxf8#)

Rook captures on f8, mate (Rxf8#)

The idea

33.Knight to e7, check (Ne7+)

Only pawns defending the back rank. Danger.

Knight checks. The king has only one legal square.

Clean run

Learn · 0/2

Learn

Recall

2 more clean runs (at any point) to reach Recall.

Move 1 of 70%

0/2

King boxed in by its own pawns. Back rank is the target.

The idea

33.Knight to e7, check (Ne7+)

Only pawns defending the back rank. Danger.

The idea

34.Knight captures on f7, check (Nxf7+)

Knight captures on f7, check (Nxf7+)

The idea

35.Rook to d8, check (Rd8+)

Rook to d8, check (Rd8+)

The idea

36.Rook captures on f8, mate (Rxf8#)

Rook captures on f8, mate (Rxf8#)

The idea

33.Knight to e7, check (Ne7+)

Only pawns defending the back rank. Danger.

Clean run

Learn · 0/2

Learn

Recall

2 more clean runs (at any point) to reach Recall.