Part of the Endgames JourneyPopularJourneyHow to Checkmate: the Basic Mates
The wins you must never fail to deliver. Six chapters teach each basic mate as a method - the staircase, the box, the wall - and have you force it against a defending king that runs, then close with the two bishops and a chapter on the stalemate alarm that has to ring before every one of them.
4,956,402+ codders enrolled
26 lessons26 challenges
- Beginner friendly
Hands-on interactive lessons
Audio narration on every lesson
Quizzes to test your knowledge
Free certificate of completion
Syllabus
This section is part of the Endgames Journey. The full syllabus has more sections - click any preview below to view it on the Journey page.
Section 1
Basic Mates
Start sectionStartExpandCollapseThe wins you must never fail to deliver: two heavy pieces, king and queen, king and rook, a queen with a helper, the two bishops - and the stalemate alarm that must ring before every one of them.The Staircase
5 lessons5King and Queen
5 lessons5King and Rook
5 lessons5Queen and a Helper
4 lessons4Stalemate Alert
4 lessons4Two Bishops
3 lessons3- Section 2The King and the Pawn26 lessons
Learn by Playing
See every idea on a real board. Each lesson shows you the position, explains what is happening on it, then asks you a question about it.
Every game starts here. The two arrows are the classical first moves.
Build Your Chess Streak
Stay consistent and watch your progress grow! Track your daily chess habit, protect your streak with freeze days, and earn rewards for showing up every day.
12 days streak
Return tomorrow to keep your streak!
January 2026
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
Double or Nothing
Day 5 of 7
Streak Freeze
2 left
You're Not Alone in This
Compete on global leaderboards, invite friends to earn rewards, and celebrate each other's wins. Chess is better with friends!
1
2
3
Promotion zoneEvery way to learn
Read, listen, test yourself, or look up anything you've already covered. Every lesson meets you where you are.
The chessboard is a grid of 64 squares, 32 light and 32 dark, in a pattern where the colors always alternate.
Set it up so that each player has a light square in their bottom-right corner.
Files run up the board and ranks run across it - together they give every square its own name.
Prove Your Skills
Earn a certificate when you complete the course. Add it to your LinkedIn profile to show how far your chess has come.
Certificate of Completion
Chess Fundamentals
Add to LinkedInWhy learn the basic mates with Coddy
- Every mate is a method, not a memory. The staircase with two heavy pieces, the box with king and queen, the wall with king and rook: you learn the shape of the net, then tighten it move by move against a king that always runs the right way.
- You force it yourself. Each lesson hands you the position and a defender that takes every escape, so a mate is only counted when you have actually delivered it, in the number of moves the method needs.
- The stalemate alarm gets its own chapter. The alarm is the moment the defending king has no moves left; hearing it before the mate - with the queen, with the rook - is what separates a won ending from a drawn one.
- Puzzles after every chapter. Heavy pieces, king and queen, king and rook, queen and a helper, two bishops: each closes with a puzzle set and a recap that asks for the mate without a hint.
Frequently asked questions about the basic checkmates
How do you checkmate with a king and queen?
How do you checkmate with a king and rook?
What is the staircase (ladder) mate?
Can you checkmate with two bishops?
How do I avoid stalemate when I am winning?
How long does it take to learn the basic mates?
