Mate (Mind Loft)
White to play and force checkmate in two, one position a day.
Every day: One chess position a day, the same for every player: White to play and force checkmate in two (in three on Sundays), played out against the best defence, with a daily leaderboard. New puzzle: Midnight US Eastern Time.
Mate is a free daily chess puzzle from Mind Loft. Each day brings one position with White to move and a forced mate in two, three on Sundays. You tap pieces to move them, play the line out against Black's best defence, and no move can be taken back.
About Mate (Mind Loft)
Mate is the daily chess problem on Mind Loft, a free site of daily browser games. Every position has White to play and a forced checkmate in an exact number of moves: two on weekdays and Saturdays, three in the Sunday Edition. On the day we looked, the board was a sparse endgame with a white queen, rook, knight and pawn against a black king, knight and pawn.
You do not need to know chess notation. Tap a white piece and its legal squares light up, then tap where it should go. After your first move Black replies with its best defence, and you have to finish the mate yourself. Each puzzle has exactly one first move that works, checked by two separate solvers, and the mate never comes sooner than stated.
There is no take-back. Any legal move is allowed, but a move that does not force mate uses up one of the moves you had. There is a Hint button, a Give up option and a Restart, and a clock runs from your first tap; the leaderboard shows the fastest solvers of the day.
A new position goes up at midnight US Eastern Time. Mate sits with Mind Loft's other end-game dailies, such as Chain (dots and boxes) and Four (Connect Four), and suits players who want one short, exact chess problem rather than a stream of tactics.
How to play Mate (Mind Loft)
- Open mindloftdaily.com/mate and press Start to see the day's position.
- Study the board: White is to move and has a forced mate in the stated number of moves.
- Tap a white piece to light up its legal squares, then tap the square to move it.
- Black answers with its best defence; keep playing until it is checkmate.
- Your time goes on the day's leaderboard; use Hint, Restart or Give up if you are stuck.
Screenshots
Tips
- Look at checks, captures and threats in that order; the key move is often a quiet one that leaves Black no good reply.
- Count every Black reply to your candidate first move before you play it, since there is no take-back.
- Note which squares around the black king are already covered; mates in two often turn on one flight square.
- Sunday is a mate in three, so give it more time before moving.
Questions
Do I need to know chess notation to play Mate?
No. You tap a piece and then a highlighted square. The board shows where each piece can go.
Can I take back a move in Mate?
No. Every move counts. A move that does not force mate uses up one of your moves, and Restart starts the position again.
Is Mate free?
Yes. Mate runs in the browser on mindloftdaily.com at no cost. There is no app and no account to make; entering a display name only puts your result on the daily leaderboard.
When does a new Mate come out?
Every day at midnight US Eastern Time, with the same position for every player. Sundays bring the Sunday Edition, a mate in three.
Can I play old Mate positions?
Yes. Mind Loft keeps past days in its puzzle archive, together with each day's standings.
Games like Mate (Mind Loft)
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