Mate in 2: pawn to g4 (g2·5)
li-0SiRWnaming tag (square·N)The tactical motive
Mate in 2: the first move creates an unstoppable threat, the second delivers mate.
Difficulty 2100 ShuffleRating — expert level — few solve it at first try.
White to move — find the best continuation
Position on the board
White: king g1, queen f1, rook f6, pawn g2 a3 c3 b4.
Black: king h5, queen c2, rook e5, pawn h4 g5 d6 a7 b7 c7.
7 white and 9 black pieces are on the board; the puzzle position arises after move 32.
Solution & explanation
Main line
32. g4+ hxg3 33. Qh3#
Why it works
- Great move! pawn to g4 keeps the pressure (#1).
- Well found: queen to h3 (#).
- The line ends in a forced mate in 2.
- If instead hxg3, then Qh3# and it is mate.
Types in this puzzle
Mate in 2
A forced checkmate in two moves.
Mate in two: your move, any reply, then the mating blow. Start with the most forcing first moves — checks and sacrifices that shrink the opponent's options to almost nothing. Against every single reply you must have a mate ready, so check them all without exception. The common failure is analyzing the pretty defense and forgetting the boring one.
Clearance
Clear your own piece out of the way — with tempo — for the decisive blow.
Clearance is about your own piece standing in the way of the decisive blow — so you move it aside, or even throw it away. The key is to clear with tempo: jump off with a check, a capture or a threat, giving the opponent no time to regroup. The telltale sign: you see a crushing queen or rook move, but one of your own pieces blocks the line or occupies the square. Do not cling to it — a clearance sacrifice usually costs less than a missed attack.
Provenance
Derived from the Lichess puzzle database (CC0).
Pack 015
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