Daily Chess Puzzle #27: Back-rank mate, Promotion, Pin and Exposed king

Four puzzles, four patterns: the back-rank mate, the promotion, the pin and the exposed king. 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 812)

Black to play. White has just played rook to e1. It looks safe. It is not. Can you find the checkmate?

Play it on Lichess before reading on: lichess.org/training/02HAo. It was rated 812 in the Lichess database we took it from; ratings there shift a little as people solve it.

Solution

1. Qxf2+ — Black: Queen takes on f2, check.
2. Kh1 — White: King to h1.
3. Qxe1# — Black: Queen takes on e1, checkmate.

Queen takes on f2, check. We give up the queen for a pawn. White has no choice. King to h1. Queen takes on e1, 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: Promotion (intermediate, rated 1623)

Black to play. White has just played rook from d to e1. Take a moment to look at the whole board. There is a check here that changes everything. Can you find it?

Play it on Lichess before reading on: lichess.org/training/00e6J. It was rated 1623 in the Lichess database we took it from; ratings there shift a little as people solve it.

Solution

1. Bxg1+ — Black: Bishop takes on g1, check.
2. Rxg1 — White: Rook takes on g1.
3. e1=Q — Black: Pawn to e1, promoting to a queen.
4. Qxe6+ — White: Queen takes on e6, check.
5. Rxe6 — Black: Rook takes on e6.

Bishop takes on g1, check. The king cannot go to h1, because our bishop on b7 controls that square. White takes back. Rook takes on g1. Now, pawn to e1, promoting to a queen. The new queen attacks the rook on g1 and the knight on e5 at the same time. White takes. Queen takes on e6, check. Rook takes on e6. That wins the queen.

The pattern. Promotion. The pawn reaches the last rank and becomes a queen, and everything else was about making that possible.

Puzzle 3: Pin (advanced, rated 2195)

White to play. Black has just played pawn to a3. It looks natural, but it leaves something behind. One piece cannot move without exposing another. Can you see which?

Play it on Lichess before reading on: lichess.org/training/01BG7. It was rated 2195 in the Lichess database we took it from; ratings there shift a little as people solve it.

Solution

1. Nh6+ — White: Knight to h6, check.
2. Kg7 — Black: King to g7.
3. Nf5+ — White: Knight to f5, check.

Knight to h6, check. Black has to move the king. King to g7. Knight to f5, check. We offer the knight.

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: Exposed king (master, rated 2464)

White to play. Black has just played king to g8. Take a moment to look at the whole board. Can you find the move that creates a threat your opponent cannot meet?

Play it on Lichess before reading on: lichess.org/training/05CHG. It was rated 2464 in the Lichess database we took it from; ratings there shift a little as people solve it.

Solution

1. Rc7 — White: Rook to c7.
2. Kf8 — Black: King to f8.
3. Rc8+ — White: Rook to c8, check.
4. Kf7 — Black: King to f7.
5. d7 — White: Pawn to d7.

Rook to c7. Black plays king to f8. Rook to c8, check. The king cannot go to e7, because our pawn on d6 controls that square. The king must move. King to f7. Pawn to d7.

The pattern. An exposed king. Once the pawn shelter is gone, checks come from everywhere and the defence cannot keep up.

One puzzle at a time

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

• Rated 812: Black mates in 2
• Promotion that 1600s miss
• Find the pin in 3 seconds
• From a real 3-minute game: the exposed king

Sources and disclosure

Puzzles 02HAo, 00e6J, 01BG7, 05CHG from the Lichess open puzzle database (CC0). New puzzles every day on the RankUp Chess channel and on our videos page.