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Back-rank mate (Ra8)

White to move, mate in one. This is the classic back-rank mate: the black king is tucked behind his own pawns and cannot step forward, which leaves him open to a check by a heavy piece along the edge of the board.

The black king stands on g8 with his own trio of pawns on f7, g7 and h7 in front of him. The white rook is on a1, and the eighth rank is completely clear.

The solution is Ra8 mate. The rook goes to a8 and mates along the eighth rank: the king has nowhere to go (f7, g7 and h7 are taken by his own pawns) and cannot reach the rook. To avoid mates like this in your own games, make an escape square in advance with a rook's-pawn move.

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