Dovetail Mate Puzzles
A queen mate where the king's only two free escape squares are occupied by his own pieces, forming a dovetail shape.
Every puzzle below comes from a real game where this exact idea decided the outcome. Solve them right here in your browser — hints and full solutions included, no account needed.
Why it works
A protected queen placed diagonally adjacent to the king covers every open square - the defender's own pieces seal the remaining two.
What to look for
Enemy pieces sitting on the two squares diagonally behind the king; land your protected queen next to the king on the open side.
See the pattern
Solve dovetail mate puzzles now
Real positions from the library, filtered to this theme. Pick a difficulty and find the best move.
Dovetail Mate puzzles: frequently asked questions
What are Dovetail Mate puzzles?
A queen mate where the king's only two free escape squares are occupied by his own pieces, forming a dovetail shape. Every puzzle on this page is a position from a real game where exactly this idea decides the outcome.
Why does this pattern work?
A protected queen placed diagonally adjacent to the king covers every open square - the defender's own pieces seal the remaining two.
What should I look for in Dovetail Mate puzzles?
Enemy pieces sitting on the two squares diagonally behind the king; land your protected queen next to the king on the open side.
Are these Dovetail Mate puzzles free?
Yes — the trainer on this page pulls from a curated set of dovetail mate positions in the Blunders library and is free to use in your browser, no account or download required. A free account adds progress tracking and puzzles built from your own games.
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