Winning blow: rook to f4 (f1·6)
sf-t-0108naming 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 1010 ShuffleRating — club-player level.
White to move — find the best continuation
Position on the board
White: king g1, queen d2, rook c1 f1, bishop e1, knight a1 g3, pawn a2 b2 g2 h2 d3.
Black: king g8, queen d5, bishop f4 c6, knight b6 g6, pawn c5 a7 b7 e7 f7 g7.
12 white and 12 black pieces are on the board; the puzzle position arises after move 12.
Solution & explanation
Main line
12. Rxf4 Nxf4 13. Nb3 Nxg2 14. Rxc5
Why it works
- Great move! rook to f4 keeps the pressure (+3.0).
- knight to b3 develops smoothly.
- Precise: rook to c5 is the top choice (+3.5).
- You reach a winning position (+3.5).
- If instead Nxf4, then Nb3 and you stay on top.
Types in this puzzle
Winning blow
Find the strike that wins material by force.
A winning blow is a forced material gain that does not fit a single textbook motif. The general tactical recipe applies: spot loose pieces, an awkwardly placed king, overloaded lines. Go through the forcing moves in order of violence — checks, captures, threats — because most combinations start with one of them. Do not judge by feel: calculate the concrete line until the outcome is beyond doubt.
Provenance
Mined from the project's engine self-play games.
Verified by Stockfish at depth 20+.
Solution forcedness confirmed (verified).
Pack 006
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