Puzzle #80: Mate in 1: back-rank mate
Rating ≈ 800 · 1 move to find
White to move and mate in 1.
Show a hint
The enemy king is short of air on its back rank.
Show the solution
- 24. Qxe8# — the queen takes the rook on e8 — checkmate.
Why it works. The defending king is trapped on its own back rank by its pawns — the classic back-rank weakness.
Themes: Mate in 1, Back-rank mate
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This position comes from a training game and was checked with a chess engine: every move you need to find is the only one that works.