Hook mate chess puzzles
20 hook mate puzzles from real games, ordered from easy to hard. Each has a hint and the full solution.
What is a hook mate in chess?
The hook mate uses a rook, a knight and a pawn: the rook checks next to the king, the knight protects the rook, and a pawn protects the knight.
How to spot a hook mate
Look for a supported knight near the enemy king and a rook that can check on an adjacent square the king cannot capture.
Hook mate chess puzzles
Puzzle 1: Black to move and mate in 1
Black to move and mate in 1. The opponent just played 48. Kg3.
Puzzle rating 555
Hint
Theme: mate in 1, hook mate, endgame tactic
Show solution
48... Rg2#
FEN: 8/6R1/p2R2bp/4p1k1/4Pn2/4BPK1/1r6/8 b - - 7 48
Puzzle 2: Black to move and mate in 1
Black to move and mate in 1. The opponent just played 33. d8=Q.
Puzzle rating 680
Hint
Theme: mate in 1, hook mate, endgame tactic
Show solution
33... Rh1#
FEN: 3Q4/p5pk/2p5/2P2p2/7p/P5nP/6PK/2r5 b - - 0 33
Puzzle 3: Black to move and mate in 1
Black to move and mate in 1. The opponent just played 32. Nxc4.
Puzzle rating 693
Hint
Theme: mate in 1, hook mate, endgame tactic
Show solution
32... Re2#
FEN: R7/6pp/4p1k1/4p3/2N1Pn1P/2P1KP2/6r1/8 b - - 0 32
Puzzle 4: White to move and mate in 1
White to move and mate in 1. The opponent just played 35... Rd4.
Puzzle rating 720
Hint
Theme: mate in 1, hook mate, endgame tactic
Show solution
36. Rxb7#
FEN: 8/1p3R2/1kp4p/2N1p3/1P1r2Pb/7P/2K5/8 w - - 1 36
Puzzle 5: White to move and mate in 1
White to move and mate in 1. The opponent just played 58... Bd4.
Puzzle rating 742
Hint
Theme: mate in 1, hook mate, endgame tactic
Show solution
59. Rg8#
FEN: 2R5/4rpk1/5Np1/6P1/3b4/5K2/8/8 w - - 36 59
Puzzle 6: Black to move and mate in 1
Black to move and mate in 1. The opponent just played 29. bxc5.
Puzzle rating 876
Hint
Theme: mate in 1, hook mate, middlegame tactic
Show solution
29... Rh1#
FEN: 6r1/1b2kp2/pp2p3/2P1p3/2P5/4P1pr/P3BnP1/2RRQNK1 b - - 0 29
Puzzle 7: Black to move and mate in 1
Black to move and mate in 1. The opponent just played 25. Ke3.
Puzzle rating 891
Hint
Theme: mate in 1, hook mate, middlegame tactic
Show solution
25... Rd3#
FEN: r2r2k1/pp3pp1/2p4p/4pN2/4PnP1/1BP1K2P/PP3P2/R6R b - - 3 25
Puzzle 8: Black to move and mate in 1
Black to move and mate in 1. The opponent just played 27. gxh3.
Puzzle rating 965
Hint
Theme: mate in 1, hook mate, Pillsbury’s mate
Show solution
27... Rxh3#
FEN: 7r/ppp5/3pp1k1/2b1p1p1/4PnN1/2PP1PKP/PP1R4/5R2 b - - 0 27
Puzzle 9: White to move and mate in 2
White to move and mate in 2. The opponent just played 30... Bg2.
Puzzle rating 1021
Hint
Theme: mate in 2, hook mate, discovered check
Show solution
31. Nf6+ Kg7 32. Rh7#
FEN: r4r2/1p3p1k/1p1R2n1/6PN/4P3/1P6/PP4b1/2K4R w - - 2 31
Puzzle 10: Black to move and mate in 3
Black to move and mate in 3. The opponent just played 37. Rxd5.
Puzzle rating 1086
Hint
Theme: mate in 3, hook mate, endgame tactic
Show solution
37... Rf1+ 38. Kg2 R8f2+ 39. Kh3 Rxh2#
FEN: 5r1k/1p3rp1/p7/2PR3p/6n1/2B3R1/PP5P/6K1 b - - 0 37
Puzzle 11: Black to move and mate in 1
Black to move and mate in 1. The opponent just played 42. Kd4.
Puzzle rating 1143
Hint
Theme: mate in 1, hook mate, endgame tactic
Show solution
42... Re4#
FEN: 4r2k/1R4p1/1p5p/2nP4/2NK4/P1P4P/1P4P1/8 b - - 2 42
Puzzle 12: White to move and mate in 2
White to move and mate in 2. The opponent just played 39... Kc8.
Puzzle rating 1292
Hint
Theme: mate in 2, hook mate, endgame tactic
Show solution
40. Rb8+ Kd7 41. Rd8#
FEN: 2k5/2p2pp1/2Nr3p/2pP4/4b3/P5PP/1R4PK/8 w - - 2 40
Puzzle 13: White to move and mate in 2
White to move and mate in 2. The opponent just played 38... Kf8.
Puzzle rating 1424
Hint
Theme: mate in 2, hook mate, endgame tactic
Show solution
39. Rc8+ Ke7 40. Re8#
FEN: 5k2/r4p2/5Np1/2R1PpPp/5P1P/5b2/p1PK4/8 w - - 2 39
Puzzle 14: Black to move and mate in 1
Black to move and mate in 1. The opponent just played 36. Kd3.
Puzzle rating 1458
Hint
Theme: mate in 1, hook mate, endgame tactic
Show solution
36... Rd2#
FEN: 7k/1p2R3/p3N3/3p4/2n5/2PK4/PP5r/8 b - - 4 36
Puzzle 15: White to move and mate in 2
White to move and mate in 2. The opponent just played 49... h3.
Puzzle rating 1584
Hint
Theme: mate in 2, hook mate, endgame tactic
Show solution
50. Rh7+ Kg5 51. Rh5#
FEN: 8/4R3/5N1k/4PP2/6p1/1p2K2p/1P4r1/5b2 w - - 0 50
Puzzle 16: Black to move and mate in 3
Black to move and mate in 3. The opponent just played 23. Kg2.
Puzzle rating 1775
Hint
Theme: mate in 3, hook mate, attraction (decoy)
Show solution
23... Qxh3+ 24. Kxh3 Rh6+ 25. Kg2 Rh2#
FEN: 6rk/pQ4pp/6r1/5p2/4p2q/BP2PnPP/P1P2PK1/R4R2 b - - 2 23
Puzzle 17: White to move and mate in 2
White to move and mate in 2. The opponent just played 40... Kg8.
Puzzle rating 1859
Hint
Theme: mate in 2, hook mate, discovered attack
Show solution
41. Ng6+ Kf7 42. Rf8#
FEN: 2R2Nk1/r5p1/7p/5P2/6PP/2pb2Kn/8/8 w - - 2 41
Puzzle 18: White to move and mate in 2
White to move and mate in 2. The opponent just played 37... a2.
Puzzle rating 1955
Hint
Theme: mate in 2, hook mate, endgame tactic
Show solution
38. h5+ Kh6 39. Rh7#
FEN: r3r3/1R6/6k1/6N1/5PPP/8/p7/6K1 w - - 0 38
Puzzle 19: White to move and mate in 2
White to move and mate in 2. The opponent just played 33... Kf5.
Puzzle rating 2205
Hint
Theme: mate in 2, hook mate, endgame tactic
Show solution
34. Rg1 h4 35. Rg5#
FEN: 8/p1pn4/1p2p1pr/4Pk1p/2P1N3/P3KP2/1P6/7R w - - 3 34
Puzzle 20: White to move and mate in 5
White to move and mate in 5. The opponent just played 21... Kf6.
Puzzle rating 2413
Hint
Theme: hook mate, attraction (decoy), exposed king
Show solution
22. Rh6+ Kg5 23. f4+ Kxf4 24. Rh4+ Kg5 25. Nf3+ Kg6 26. Rh6#
FEN: r3qr2/2pnpp2/bp1p1k2/p4N2/3PP3/2P4R/PP1N1P2/n2K4 w - - 4 22