Daily Chess Puzzle #19: Back-rank mate, Knight fork, Pin and Quiet move

Four puzzles, four patterns: the back-rank mate, the knight fork, the pin and the quiet move. 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 800 to 2500.

Puzzle 1: Back-rank mate (beginner, rated 809)

White to play. Black just played bishop takes on f6. It wins a bishop, or so it seems. Can you find the checkmate?

Play it on Lichess before reading on: lichess.org/training/00MS3. It was rated 809 in the Lichess database we took it from; ratings there shift a little as people solve it.

Solution

1. Qxe8+ — White: Queen takes on e8, check.
2. Qxe8 — Black: Queen takes on e8.
3. Rxe8# — White: Rook takes on e8, checkmate.

Queen takes on e8, check. The queen attacks the king on g8 and the queen on d8 at the same time. So Black has just one move: queen takes on e8. Now, rook takes on e8, checkmate.

The pattern. A back-rank mate. The king’s own pawns become its prison, and one heavy piece on the last rank ends the game.

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Puzzle 2: Knight fork (intermediate, rated 1470)

White to play. Black just played rook takes on h2. It wins a pawn, or so it seems. And the black rook on h2 has nothing defending it. Can you see the square that attacks two pieces at the same time?

Play it on Lichess before reading on: lichess.org/training/02XhI. It was rated 1470 in the Lichess database we took it from; ratings there shift a little as people solve it.

Solution

1. Na7+ — White: Knight to a7, check.
2. Kb8 — Black: King to b8.
3. Nxc6+ — White: Knight takes on c6, check.
4. bxc6 — Black: Pawn takes on c6.
5. Kxh2 — White: King takes on h2.

Knight to a7, check. The knight attacks the king on c8 and the queen on c6 at the same time. Black has to move the king. King to b8. Knight takes on c6, check. The knight attacks the king on b8 and the rook on d8 at the same time. Black takes back. Pawn takes on c6. King takes on h2. That wins the rook.

The pattern. A knight fork. One knight, one jump, two targets, and your opponent can save only one of them. If you were tempted by king takes on h2, Black answers rook to h8, check and the chance is gone.

Puzzle 3: Pin (advanced, rated 1932)

Black to play. White has just played knight takes on f3. It wins a knight, or so it seems. And the white knight on f3 has nothing defending it. Can you find the pin?

Play it on Lichess before reading on: lichess.org/training/04BxX. It was rated 1932 in the Lichess database we took it from; ratings there shift a little as people solve it.

Solution

1. Qg3+ — Black: Queen to g3, check.
2. Kh1 — White: King to h1.
3. Qxf3+ — Black: Queen takes on f3, check.

Queen to g3, check. We offer the queen. White has to move the king. King to h1. Queen takes on f3, check. The king cannot go to g2, because our queen on f3 controls that square.

The pattern. A pin. The pinned piece cannot move without exposing something more valuable behind it, so it is really out of the game.

Puzzle 4: Quiet move (master, rated 2495)

Black to play. White just played pawn takes on f4. It wins a pawn, or so it seems. No check and no capture, but one move wins. Can you find it?

Play it on Lichess before reading on: lichess.org/training/0F0xC. It was rated 2495 in the Lichess database we took it from; ratings there shift a little as people solve it.

Solution

1. a5 — Black: Pawn to a5.
2. h4 — White: Pawn to h4.
3. h5 — Black: Pawn to h5.
4. Kd4 — White: King to d4.
5. Kf5 — Black: King to f5.

Pawn to a5. White plays pawn to h4. Pawn to h5. White plays king to d4. Now, king to f5.

The pattern. A quiet move. No check, no capture, and yet it is the strongest move on the board because of the threat it creates.

One puzzle at a time

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

• Treehouse - Back-rank mate that 800s miss
• Coral Reef - Knight fork that 1500s miss
• Paper Fold - Pin that 1900s miss
• Starship - Quiet move that 2500s miss

Sources and disclosure

Puzzles 00MS3, 02XhI, 04BxX, 0F0xC from the Lichess open puzzle database (CC0). New puzzles every day on the RankUp Chess channel and on our videos page.