Winning blow: knight to a4 (c5)
sf-t-0058naming tag (square·N)The tactical motive
Winning tactic: there is a move that gains a decisive advantage — find it.
Chess960 twist: use the unusual starting setup of the pieces.
Difficulty 1280 ShuffleRating — club-player level.
White to move — find the best continuation
Position on the board
White: king a2, queen c1, rook a1 f1, bishop c4, knight g3 c5, pawn e2 g2 h2 b4 f4.
Black: king b8, queen c8, rook a4 e8, bishop g8, knight g6, pawn e5 f5 b6 g7 h7.
12 white and 11 black pieces are on the board; the puzzle position arises after move 17.
Solution & explanation
Main line
17. Nxa4 Qxc4+ 18. Qxc4 Bxc4+ 19. Kb2
Why it works
- Great move! knight to a4 keeps the pressure (+4.8).
- Spot on — queen to c4 (+4.8).
- A natural move: king to b2.
- You win decisive material (+5.1).
- If instead Bxc4+, then Kb2 and you stay on top.
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 009
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