Advanced checkmate · 8 of 15
Mate in 4
You force checkmate in four moves, whatever your opponent plays in between.
- Learn how it worksThree examples with Capra. You play each one yourself.Three examples with CapraStart the lesson
- Practise on real puzzlesPractise on puzzles80 mate in 4 puzzles, from easy to very hard.0 of 80 solvedGo to the puzzlesGo to the puzzles
Three ways to mate in 4
Each one is a chain of checks. What changes is how Black tries to get out.
Blocks that only delay
The bishop checks first. The rook follows, and two blocks cannot save the king.
A king walk
The first rook checks on the back rank. The two rooks then walk the king up the board.
A rook sacrifice
The rook takes on f7 with check, then gives itself up to bring the queen in.
Mates in 4 in numbers
Counted from the 463 mates in 4 in our puzzle library, all taken from real games- 1 in 600
of our puzzles ends with a mate in 4.
- 42%
of them start with a queen move.
- 50%
of them come in the endgame.
Which piece makes the first move
- Queen42%
- Rook36%
- Bishop9%
- Knight7%
- Pawn5%
How many moves the mate takes
- Mate in 4100%
Good to know
Mates in 4: common questions
What is a mate in 4 in chess?
A mate in 4 is a position where you can force checkmate in four of your own moves. Your opponent gets three replies, and none of them can stop it.
How do I find a mate in 4?
Start with checks, because a check leaves your opponent the fewest replies. Picture the final mate first, then work back to the move that starts it. If the king slips out in one line, try the next check.
Is a mate in 4 harder than a mate in 3?
Yes. There is one more move for each side, so there are more replies to look at. The extra move is often a sacrifice, or a check that drags the king to a worse square.
Does every move have to be a check?
No, but most of them are. A quiet move only works when your opponent has no useful reply to it, so look at the checks and captures first.