White to move · 2 moves · Rating 799
Find checkmate in 2 moves.
Show the solution
21.Rxh7+ Kxh7 22.Qh5#
Ponderchess / Puzzles
Decoy puzzles
62 decoy puzzles from real games, rated 799 to 2631. Here are 18, from easiest to hardest.
A decoy, also called attraction, lures an enemy piece, often the king, onto a square where a tactic works. Usually it is a sacrifice: the piece that captures lands exactly where you want it.
Decoys set up forks, skewers and mates that do not exist yet. Once the king or queen is drawn to the right square, the finishing blow follows.
How to solve them: If a fork or mate would work with the enemy king or queen on a particular square, look for a sacrifice on that square that forces them to take it.
New to the idea? Read Decoy in chess first.
18 decoy puzzles to solve
Solve it on the board →
White to move · 4 moves · Rating 1309
Find the best move, then follow the winning continuation.
Show the solution
45.Re8 Rg8 46.Rxg8 Kxg8 47.Re8+ Kf7 48.Rxd8
White to move · 3 moves · Rating 1357
Find the best move, then follow the winning continuation.
Show the solution
29.Rxg7+ Kxg7 30.Ne6+ Kg8 31.Nxd8
White to move · 4 moves · Rating 1500
Find checkmate in 4 moves.
Show the solution
30.Rxg7+ Kh8 31.Rh7+ Kxh7 32.Rxf7+ Kh8 33.Qg7#
Black to move · 3 moves · Rating 1536
Find the best move, then follow the winning continuation.
Show the solution
27...Rxd6 28.Rxd6 Be5+ 29.Kh1 Bxd6
White to move · 3 moves · Rating 1712
Find checkmate in 3 moves.
Show the solution
30.Rxh7+ Kxh7 31.Rh1+ Bh4 32.Rxh4#
White to move · 2 moves · Rating 1800
Find checkmate in 2 moves.
Show the solution
24.Qxf7+ Kxf7 25.Rd7#
White to move · 3 moves · Rating 1832
Find checkmate in 3 moves.
Show the solution
18.Rh8+ Kxh8 19.Qh5+ Kg8 20.Qh7#
Black to move · 3 moves · Rating 1896
Find the best move, then follow the winning continuation.
Show the solution
46...Rh1+ 47.Kxh1 a1=Q+ 48.Kg2 Qg1+
Black to move · 3 moves · Rating 1942
Find the best move, then follow the winning continuation.
Show the solution
15...Nxf2 16.Kxf2 Qe3+ 17.Kf1 Bg3
Black to move · 4 moves · Rating 2010
Find the best move, then follow the winning continuation.
Show the solution
38...Ne2+ 39.Kf1 g2+ 40.Kxg2 Nf4+ 41.Kf3 Nxh5
Black to move · 4 moves · Rating 2084
Find the best move, then follow the winning continuation.
Show the solution
31...Rxe5 32.Qxe5 Rxe5 33.Rxe5 Qd4+ 34.Kf1 Qxe5
White to move · 3 moves · Rating 2162
Find the best move, then follow the winning continuation.
Show the solution
12.Qxe7+ Kxe7 13.Nxd5+ Kd6 14.Nxb6
Black to move · 3 moves · Rating 2224
Find the best move, then follow the winning continuation.
Show the solution
23...Rxd1 24.Rxd1 Qf3+ 25.Kg1 Qxd1+
White to move · 4 moves · Rating 2322
Find the best move, then follow the winning continuation.
Show the solution
25.Rxd5+ Kxd5 26.Rd1+ Bd4+ 27.Rxd4+ Kxd4 28.Qxc6
White to move · 4 moves · Rating 2449
Find checkmate in 4 moves.
Show the solution
29.Qe8+ Bf8 30.Qxf8+ Kxf8 31.Bh6+ Kg8 32.Re8#
Black to move · 4 moves · Rating 2611
Find the best move, then follow the winning continuation.
Show the solution
18...Rxg2+ 19.Kxg2 Rg8+ 20.Bg5 Qxg5+ 21.Bg4 Bxg4
Black to move · 3 moves · Rating 2631
Find the best move, then follow the winning continuation.
Show the solution
30...Qh1+ 31.Kd6 Re6+ 32.Kxe6 Qxc6+
Train all 62 decoy puzzles in the trainer, with a rating that adapts to you →
Positions from the open Lichess puzzle database (CC0).