Winning blow: rook to h5 (f5·2)
sf-t-0139naming 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 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 h4, rook b1 f5, bishop d3, pawn g2 h2 e3 b4 d5.
Black: king h8, queen e8, rook b8, knight b6, pawn h5 g6 e7 f7.
10 white and 8 black pieces are on the board; the puzzle position arises after move 21.
Solution & explanation
Main line
21. Rxh5+ gxh5 22. Qxh5+ Kg7 23. Qg5+
Why it works
- Great move! rook to h5 keeps the pressure (#5).
- Well found: queen to h5 (#4).
- Precise: queen to g5 is the top choice (#3).
- You win decisive material (+15.0).
- If instead gxh5, then Qxh5+ and you stay on top.
Types in this puzzle
Win the pinned piece
The pinned piece cannot run — attack it again and win it.
A pinned piece cannot flee, which means you can win it outright by attacking it one more time. Count attackers against defenders: if you outnumber them, the piece is yours. The best extra attacker is a pawn, since it costs less than anything it might capture. Do not rush the capture — build up the pressure first, then harvest.
Battery
Two pieces stacked on one line — the front one strikes with double force.
A battery stacks two long-range pieces on one line — a queen behind a bishop on a diagonal, or doubled rooks on a file. The front piece strikes with double force: capture it, and the piece behind recaptures with even more pressure. The battery is ready when both pieces already stare at one point and only the front strike is missing. Build batteries in advance on lines leading to the king — the doubling itself often breeds the combination.
Provenance
Mined from the project's engine self-play games.
Verified by Stockfish at depth 20+.
Solution forcedness confirmed (verified).
Pack 015
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