Winning blow: queen to h5 (g4·3)
sf-t-0049naming tag (square·N)The tactical motive
Chess960 twist: use the unusual starting setup of the pieces.
Winning tactic: there is a move that gains a decisive advantage — find it.
Difficulty 1870 ShuffleRating — for advanced tacticians.
White to move — find the best continuation
Position on the board
White: king g1, queen g4, rook e1 f5, bishop b3, knight g7, pawn b2 g2 h2 c3 a4.
Black: king f8, queen b8, rook a8 h8, bishop h5, knight e8, pawn e5 f6 a7 b7 h7.
11 white and 11 black pieces are on the board; the puzzle position arises after move 22.
Solution & explanation
Main line
22. Qxh5 Ke7 23. Qf7+ Kd8 24. Nxe8
Why it works
- Great move! queen to h5 keeps the pressure (#9).
- Spot on — queen to f7 (#6).
- Precise: knight to e8 is the top choice (#5).
- You win a piece — the bishop.
- If instead Qc7, then Ne6+ and you win the bishop.
Types in this puzzle
Hanging piece
A piece is left without protection — just take it.
A hanging piece is simply an unprotected piece you can take for free. It sounds primitive, yet most amateur games are decided exactly this way. Build the habit: before every move, sweep the board and note every undefended piece, yours and theirs. The classic mistake is hunting for a brilliant combination when all you need to do is bend down and pick up the gift.
Provenance
Mined from the project's engine self-play games.
Verified by Stockfish at depth 20+.
Solution forcedness confirmed (verified).
Pack 014
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