Chess puzzles: rated, by theme, daily, Sprint and Streak

100,000 free chess puzzles with a rating that follows your level, 73 themes, a daily puzzle, Sprint against the clock, Streak and leaderboards. Unlimited, no account needed.

Updated 29 October 2026 · 3 min read

Puzzles are free and unlimited on ChessMess, with or without an account.

How a puzzle works

Your opponent has just moved, and that move is played for you at the start. Find the best reply; if the line goes on, the opponent answers and you find the next move. If your move isn't the one in the solution but still gives checkmate, it counts.

A wrong move is shown and taken back, so you can try again or see the solution. Hint circles the piece to move. Afterwards you see the whole solution, the puzzle's themes and opening, and can open it on the analysis board.

Your puzzle rating

Puzzles you solve in rated mode change your puzzle rating (Glicko-2, separate from your game ratings), and the next puzzles are picked near it. On your first visit you choose a starting level, from New to chess to Strong, so beginners don't start on puzzles that are far too hard. Only your first try at each puzzle counts, and using a hint counts as a miss.

Themes and openings

Puzzles by theme let you practise one idea at a time: 73 themes in groups such as checkmates (mate in 1 to mate in 5), mating patterns (back-rank, smothered, Anastasia's…), tactics (forks, pins, skewers, discovered attacks), advanced ideas (deflection, zugzwang, quiet moves) and endgames. You can also pick puzzles that come from the opening you play.

Daily puzzle, Sprint and Streak

• Daily puzzle: one puzzle a day, the same for everyone, with a count of the days in a row you've solved it.
• Sprint: 3 or 5 minutes and three lives. Puzzles start easy and get harder; your score is how many you solve.
• Streak: no clock, puzzles get harder, and one wrong move ends the run. You get one skip per run.

Sprint and Streak don't change your puzzle rating. With a free account (email confirmed) your best scores go on the leaderboards: Sprint for today, this week and all time, Streak, and the top puzzle ratings.

Without an account

Everything works as a guest; your rating and history stay in this browser. If you sign up later, ChessMess offers to carry your puzzle rating over to the new account in one tap.

Where the puzzles come from

The 100,000 puzzles were chosen from the Lichess puzzle database, which is free to use (CC0): well-tested, popular puzzles at every level from about 400 to 2900. There are no ads on the solving screens.

Questions and answers

Are ChessMess puzzles really unlimited?

Yes. There's no daily limit and no paid tier for puzzles, with or without an account.

How is my puzzle rating worked out?

With Glicko-2, using the rating of each puzzle you try. Only your first try counts, and a hint counts as a miss. Sprint and Streak don't change it.

Is there something like Puzzle Rush?

Sprint is similar: 3 or 5 minutes, three lives and puzzles that get harder. Streak is the untimed version where one mistake ends the run.