Chess Puzzle #0Iq7o — Beginner, Black to move, middlegame

Position

White: king h3; rooks b8/f1; knight e5; pawns b5/f4/g3. Black: king h6; rooks b2/d3; bishop d8; pawns g5/h5. White is ahead by 1 point of material. Black to move.

Solution (1 move)

1. Opponent setup: Nxd3 — knight e5→d3, captures rook. Now Black to move.
2. Best move: g4# — pawn g5→g4, delivers checkmate.

Why this works

After 1...g4#, the black pawn on g4 delivers checkmate because the white king on h3 has no escape squares and no piece can capture the pawn or interpose. The h2 square is controlled by the pawn itself (pawns attack diagonally). The g2 square is blocked by White's own pawn on g3. The h4 square is also controlled by the pawn on g4. The white king cannot move to g3 (occupied), and no White piece can reach g4: the rook on f1 is cut off by the pawn on f4, the knight on d3 (which just captured on that square) cannot reach g4 in one move, and the rook on b8 has no path. The pawn move is check because g4 attacks h3 diagonally, and it is mate because all escape and defensive options are exhausted.

What to practice

In king-and-pawn endgames with the enemy king boxed into a corner, look for pawn advances that simultaneously deliver check and seal all escape squares. The pattern here—a pawn move that controls two or three squares around a trapped king—is a fundamental mating motif. Train yourself to see the king's 'cage' first: identify which squares it can reach, then find the pawn advance that fills the last gap.

Tactical themes

endgame, mate, mate in 1, one move. The combination ends with g4# delivering checkmate.

Position data

FEN: 1R1b4/8/7k/1P2N1pp/5P2/3r2PK/1r6/5R2 w - - 0 42

Solve this puzzle interactively on Brilliant Knight — free tactics training powered by Stockfish 18, no signup required.