Easy Knight Mates

Easy Knight Mates teaches you how to mate with a knight very early in a chess game. This makes you more aware of surprising tactical possibilities in chess openings.

You can win games quicker when you know knight mating patterns. This skill will make you harder to beat. You will be more dangerous as a chess player to all your opponents.

Each diagram shows the position where a knight can mate in one move. Since every game must mate with a knight, it follows that all wins are checks – always with a knight.

Each diagram starts with White at the bottom and Black at the top. Above the diagram, I note whether it is White to play or if it is Black to play. Find the bold mating move.

Below each diagram I provide the previous moves played just before the mating move to give you some context.

The diagram positions anticipate an immediate bold mate. The mate move is in bold type. Look for the bold move.

It may seem easy to mate in one, but the final knight move came as a shock to the players who lost in these games.

How do I know? In a few cases I'm the one who got mated. When it happened, I was like, "What the heck? Oh darn! Didn't see that coming. I've got to do better next time."

I arranged these mates in chapters based on the openings classified by Encyclopedia of Chess Openings (ECO).

These easy knight mates can be fun. Go forth and enjoy!