Mate in 4 chess puzzles
20 mate in 4 puzzles from real games, ordered from easy to hard. Each has a hint and the full solution.
What is a mate in 4 in chess?
Mate-in-4 puzzles are long forcing attacks, usually a chain of checks and sacrifices that strip the king of its defenders before the final blow.
How to spot a mate in 4
Count the attackers and defenders around the king. If you have more, look for the sacrifice that removes the key defender, then keep checking so the opponent never gets a free move.
Mate in 4 chess puzzles
Puzzle 1: Black to move and mate in 4
Black to move and mate in 4. The opponent just played 26. gxf3.
Puzzle rating 1003
Hint
Theme: mate in 4, epaulette mate, exposed king
Show solution
26... Qh5+ 27. Qh4 Qxh4+ 28. Kg2 Qh2+ 29. Kf1 Qf2#
FEN: 3Q4/5ppk/p5qp/2p5/P3P3/2P1NPb1/1P6/R3N1RK b - - 0 26
Puzzle 2: Black to move and mate in 4
Black to move and mate in 4. The opponent just played 27. Rxd5.
Puzzle rating 1347
Hint
Theme: mate in 4, sacrifice, queenside attack
Show solution
27... Qxc2+ 28. Rxc2 Rf1+ 29. Rd1 Rxd1+ 30. Rc1 Rdxc1#
FEN: 2r3k1/2q2p1p/5Qp1/p2R1PP1/1p3r1P/8/PPP5/1KR5 b - - 0 27
Puzzle 3: Black to move and mate in 4
Black to move and mate in 4. The opponent just played 38. Qxb7.
Puzzle rating 1424
Hint
Theme: mate in 4, attraction (decoy), sacrifice
Show solution
38... Qe4+ 39. Ka1 Bxb2+ 40. Kxb2 Qc2+ 41. Ka1 Qa2#
FEN: 4qk2/1Q3pb1/p2p4/3N2pB/8/Pp6/1P5P/1K3R2 b - - 0 38
Puzzle 4: White to move and mate in 4
White to move and mate in 4. The opponent just played 31... Rxd1.
Puzzle rating 1502
Hint
Theme: mate in 4, X-ray attack, queenside attack
Show solution
32. Qh8+ Qe8 33. Qxe8+ Rxe8 34. Rxe8+ Rd8 35. Rxd8#
FEN: 1k6/ppp2q1p/1b2r3/6p1/1P6/P1Q4P/2K3PB/3rR3 w - - 0 32
Puzzle 5: White to move and mate in 4
White to move and mate in 4. The opponent just played 26... e2.
Puzzle rating 1617
Hint
Theme: mate in 4, discovered attack, attacking f2/f7
Show solution
27. Bh7+ Kf7 28. Qxg7+ Ke8 29. Bg6+ Rf7 30. Qxf7#
FEN: 3r1rk1/1b4p1/p4pBp/1p2qP2/2p3Q1/2Pp2R1/PP2p1PP/3R3K w - - 0 27
Puzzle 6: Black to move and mate in 4
Black to move and mate in 4. The opponent just played 25. Rxf6.
Puzzle rating 1701
Hint
Theme: mate in 4, back-rank mate, deflection
Show solution
25... Qe1+ 26. Nf1 Ne2+ 27. Kh1 Qxf1+ 28. Rxf1 Rxf1#
FEN: r3qr1k/2pp4/5R1N/p5Q1/Pp1n4/1BP5/1P1N2PP/6K1 b - - 0 25
Puzzle 7: Black to move and mate in 4
Black to move and mate in 4. The opponent just played 24. fxe4.
Puzzle rating 1761
Hint
Theme: mate in 4, attraction (decoy), sacrifice
Show solution
24... Rxg2+ 25. Kxg2 Rg8+ 26. Kh1 Qxe4+ 27. Rf3 Qxf3#
FEN: 1nkr4/1p3prp/1p2p3/1Bp5/3PPq2/1QP5/P5PP/R4RK1 b - - 0 24
Puzzle 8: White to move and mate in 4
White to move and mate in 4. The opponent just played 23... Kg7.
Puzzle rating 1825
Hint
Theme: mate in 4, attraction (decoy), sacrifice
Show solution
24. Rh7+ Kxh7 25. Qh2+ Bh3 26. Qxh3+ Kg7 27. Qh6#
FEN: r1bq1r2/6k1/2pp2p1/p3p1P1/3bP3/P1pP1P2/BPPQ4/2K4R w - - 2 24
Puzzle 9: White to move and mate in 4
White to move and mate in 4. The opponent just played 33... Rxc7.
Puzzle rating 1905
Hint
Theme: mate in 4, attraction (decoy), sacrifice
Show solution
34. Qh5+ Kg8 35. Rxf8+ Kxf8 36. Bh6+ Kg8 37. Qe8#
FEN: 3R1b2/2r1pk1p/p3qp2/1p3p2/8/4BQP1/P6P/6K1 w - - 0 34
Puzzle 10: White to move and mate in 4
White to move and mate in 4. The opponent just played 43... Rxc3.
Puzzle rating 1961
Hint
Theme: mate in 4, rook endgame, endgame tactic
Show solution
44. Re7+ Kg8 45. Re8+ Kg7 46. R2e7+ Kh6 47. Rh8#
FEN: 8/pp3k2/4Rp2/5P1p/3P3K/2r4P/4R3/7r w - - 0 44
Puzzle 11: White to move and mate in 4
White to move and mate in 4. The opponent just played 22... b5.
Puzzle rating 2039
Hint
Theme: mate in 4, attraction (decoy), sacrifice
Show solution
23. Qxf8+ Kxf8 24. Rxf7+ Ke8 25. Rf8+ Kd7 26. R1f7#
FEN: r1b2rk1/4Qppp/p2p4/1p1P4/5R2/3q4/P5PP/5R1K w - - 0 23
Puzzle 12: White to move and mate in 4
White to move and mate in 4. The opponent just played 34... a3.
Puzzle rating 2103
Hint
Theme: mate in 4, quiet move, rook endgame
Show solution
35. Rb6 f5 36. f3 a2 37. e4+ fxe4+ 38. fxe4#
FEN: r7/5p1p/4p1p1/3k4/3P4/p2K2PP/1R2PP2/8 w - - 0 35
Puzzle 13: White to move and mate in 4
White to move and mate in 4. The opponent just played 23... Rf8.
Puzzle rating 2158
Hint
Theme: mate in 4, back-rank mate, deflection
Show solution
24. Qxf7+ Rxf7 25. Rb8+ Rf8 26. Bxe6+ Kh8 27. Rxf8#
FEN: 5rk1/pR3bpp/4p3/3pP3/2pP4/4q1PB/7P/5Q1K w - - 5 24
Puzzle 14: Black to move and mate in 4
Black to move and mate in 4. The opponent just played 23. Qxh5.
Puzzle rating 2233
Hint
Theme: mate in 4, discovered check, double check
Show solution
23... Qxc2+ 24. Kxc2 Bxe4+ 25. Kd2 Rc2+ 26. Ke1 Bf2#
FEN: 2r5/4kp2/p1bp1p2/2q1pPPQ/1p1bP2P/1P5R/P1P5/1K1R1B2 b - - 0 23
Puzzle 15: White to move and mate in 4
White to move and mate in 4. The opponent just played 23... b6.
Puzzle rating 2278
Hint
Theme: mate in 4, exposed king, queenside attack
Show solution
24. Rxc8+ Rxc8 25. Qxb6+ Ka8 26. Ra1+ Qa4 27. Rxa4#
FEN: 1knr3r/3q1ppp/Qp6/3Pp3/8/4P3/6PP/1RR3K1 w - - 0 24
Puzzle 16: Black to move and mate in 4
Black to move and mate in 4. The opponent just played 22. Kxg2.
Puzzle rating 2351
Hint
Theme: mate in 4, fork, discovered check
Show solution
22... Nf4+ 23. Kf3 Qe2+ 24. Kxf4 Rg4+ 25. Kf5 Qe4#
FEN: 1k2q1r1/ppp4p/5RnQ/8/2NP4/2P5/PP4KP/5R2 b - - 0 22
Puzzle 17: White to move and mate in 4
White to move and mate in 4. The opponent just played 35... Kxg4.
Puzzle rating 2388
Hint
Theme: mate in 4, endgame tactic
Show solution
36. f3+ Kh4 37. Qg3+ Kh5 38. Bf7+ Kh6 39. Qh3#
FEN: 8/6bp/3Q4/6p1/2B3k1/8/3P1PKP/q3r3 w - - 0 36
Puzzle 18: White to move and mate in 4
White to move and mate in 4. The opponent just played 24... Kxd7.
Puzzle rating 2409
Hint
Theme: mate in 4, endgame tactic
Show solution
25. Bf5+ Kc6 26. Qa6+ Kd5 27. Qe6+ Kd4 28. Qe4#
FEN: r6r/pNpk3p/8/8/8/2q5/P1B1Q1PP/6K1 w - - 0 25
Puzzle 19: Black to move and mate in 4
Black to move and mate in 4. The opponent just played 39. d6.
Puzzle rating 2475
Hint
Theme: mate in 4, rook endgame, endgame tactic
Show solution
39... f5+ 40. exf6 h5+ 41. Kg5 Rg3+ 42. Kh6 Rh7#
FEN: 6k1/1r3p2/2RP2pp/1p2P3/5PKP/1r6/8/2R5 b - - 0 39
Puzzle 20: Black to move and mate in 4
Black to move and mate in 4. The opponent just played 46. Qxe3.
Puzzle rating 2563
Hint
Theme: mate in 4, endgame tactic
Show solution
46... Qh1+ 47. Kg4 f5+ 48. Bxf5 Qh5+ 49. Kf4 Qxf5#
FEN: 8/Pq3pk1/4p1p1/8/8/3BQ1PK/8/8 b - - 0 46