Winning blow: bishop to g5 (c1)
sf-t-0174naming 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 780 ShuffleRating — for beginners taking their first steps in Chess960 tactics.
White to move — find the best continuation
Position on the board
White: king f2, queen d3, rook a1 e1, bishop c1 f1, pawn a2 b2 g2 h2 c3 d4 e5.
Black: king c7, queen b8, rook a8 e8, bishop g4 g5, pawn d5 c6 g6 a7 b7 e7 h7.
13 white and 13 black pieces are on the board; the puzzle position arises after move 15.
Solution & explanation
Main line
15. Bxg5 h6 16. Bd2 Rf8+ 17. Kg1
Why it works
- Great move! bishop to g5 keeps the pressure (+5.7).
- bishop to d2 develops smoothly.
- A natural move: king to g1.
- You win a piece — the bishop.
- If instead h6, then Be3 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 003
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