Chess Puzzle #1OgHX — Master, Black to move, endgame

Position

White: king e6; rook a4; bishop d6; pawns d7/g5. Black: king g6; rook d1; bishop e5; knight b3; pawn e4. Black is ahead by 2 points of material. Black to move.

Solution (3 moves)

1. Opponent setup: Bxe5 — bishop d6→e5, captures bishop. Now Black to move.
2. Best move: Nc5+ — knight b3→c5, gives check. Opponent replies Ke7 (king e6→e7).
3. Best move: Rxd7+ — rook d1→d7, captures pawn, gives check. Opponent replies Ke8 (king e7→e8).
4. Best move: Rd5 — rook d7→d5.

Why this works

Black's knight on c5 delivers check to the king on e6, forcing 2.Ke7. Then 2...Rxd7+ is the key move — Black captures the dangerous passed pawn with check, and after 3.Ke8 (forced), Black plays 3...Rd5, attacking the bishop on e5 and the g5 pawn simultaneously. The bishop cannot defend the pawn because the rook controls the fifth rank; White loses both pieces. The knight on c5 was the critical tempo-gainer. By checking first, Black seized the initiative and forced the white king into a corner (e8) where it cannot defend either piece. The rook on a4 is stranded and cannot participate in the rescue.

What to practice

In endgames with limited material, a well-placed knight checking the king can unlock a forcing sequence that wins material through a dual attack. The pattern here: check, allow the king to move to a worse square (often forced), then deliver a follow-up check that wins a pawn or piece, leaving the king too restricted to defend multiple threats. Train yourself to calculate whether checking *first* buys you a tempo that lets you win material on the next move, rather than attacking material directly.

Tactical themes

crushing, endgame, fork, long. The key move Rxd7+ captures with check, forcing a response.

Position data

FEN: 8/3P4/3BK1k1/4b1P1/R3p3/1n6/8/3r4 w - - 2 64

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