Daily Chess Puzzle #16: Pillsbury's mate, Discovered check, Sacrifice and Queen fork

Four puzzles, four patterns: the pillsbury’s mate, the discovered check, the sacrifice and the queen fork. Each position below comes from a real game in the open Lichess database and is engine-verified. Set the position up, give yourself the same few seconds the video does, and only then read the solution. Best for players rated about 1000 to 2700.

Puzzle 1: Pillsbury’s mate (beginner, rated 1097)

Black to play. White just played pawn to e8, promoting to a queen. The white king on g1 is short of squares. The king is running out of squares. Can you find the winning check?

Play it on Lichess before reading on: lichess.org/training/01RPd. It was rated 1097 in the Lichess database we took it from; ratings there shift a little as people solve it.

Solution

1. Ra1+ — Black: Rook to a1, check.
2. Rb1 — White: Rook to b1.
3. Rxb1# — Black: Rook takes on b1, checkmate.

Rook to a1, check. The king cannot go to f1, because our rook on a1 controls that square. White’s only move is rook to b1. And now, rook takes on b1, checkmate.

The pattern. Pillsbury’s mate: a rook on the open g-file and a bishop on the long diagonal aim at the castled king together. Open the file, and the bishop does the rest.

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Puzzle 2: Discovered check (intermediate, rated 1391)

White to play. Black has just played pawn takes on h6. It wins a bishop, or so it seems. Notice the black king on g8 and the black queen on d8, close together. There is a check here that changes everything. Can you find it?

Play it on Lichess before reading on: lichess.org/training/02Ojk. It was rated 1391 in the Lichess database we took it from; ratings there shift a little as people solve it.

Solution

1. Nxe6+ — White: Knight takes on e6, check.
2. Kh8 — Black: King to h8.
3. Nxd8 — White: Knight takes on d8.

Knight takes on e6, check. The knight steps aside, and our rook on g1 now looks straight at the black king on g8. Black steps out of check. King to h8. Now, knight takes on d8. That wins the queen for our knight.

The pattern. A discovered check. If you were tempted by knight takes on f7, check, Black answers king takes on f7 and the chance is gone.

Puzzle 3: Sacrifice (advanced, rated 2049)

Black to play. White has just played queen takes on e4. It wins a pawn, or so it seems. The white king on g2 is short of squares. There is a forcing sequence here, and it starts with a sacrifice.

Play it on Lichess before reading on: lichess.org/training/02mPu. It was rated 2049 in the Lichess database we took it from; ratings there shift a little as people solve it.

Solution

1. Qf2+ — Black: Queen to f2, check.
2. Rxf2 — White: Rook takes on f2.
3. R8xf2# — Black: Rook from 8 takes on f2, checkmate.

Queen to f2, check. We offer the queen, and the king cannot take it, because our rook on f1 protects it. White has no choice. Rook takes on f2. And now, rook from 8 takes on f2, checkmate.

The pattern. A sacrifice is not a gift. We give up material because what comes next is worth more: a mate, a winning attack, or the material back with interest.

Puzzle 4: Queen fork (master, rated 2672)

Black to play. White just played queen to g4. Notice the white king on g2 and the white queen on g4, close together. Where can our queen land to attack both at once?

Play it on Lichess before reading on: lichess.org/training/0A38J. It was rated 2672 in the Lichess database we took it from; ratings there shift a little as people solve it.

Solution

1. Qc2+ — Black: Queen to c2, check.
2. Kh3 — White: King to h3.
3. f5 — Black: Pawn to f5.
4. Qg6 — White: Queen to g6.
5. fxe4 — Black: Pawn takes on e4.

Queen to c2, check. The queen attacks the king on g2 and the rook on e4 at the same time. White steps out of check. King to h3. And now, pawn to f5. The pawn attacks the queen on g4 and the rook on e4 at the same time. White plays queen to g6. Pawn takes on e4. That wins the rook.

The pattern. A queen fork. The queen attacks two undefended targets at once, often with check, and only one of them can be saved.

One puzzle at a time

Each puzzle is also a one-minute Short if you want to try one on the phone:

• Treehouse - Pillsbury’s mate that 1100s miss
• Coral Reef - Discovered check that 1400s miss
• Paper Fold - Sacrifice that 2000s miss
• Starship - Queen fork that 2700s miss

Sources and disclosure

Puzzles 01RPd, 02Ojk, 02mPu, 0A38J from the Lichess open puzzle database (CC0). New puzzles every day on the RankUp Chess channel and on our videos page.