Chess Puzzle #3zhyA — Intermediate, Black to move, endgame

Rating 1281 · Intermediate · advanced pawn, crushing, endgame, rook endgame, short.

Position

White: king d3; rook b5; pawns f3/h4. Black: king a2; rook a4; pawns b3/f4. Material is balanced. Black to move.

Solution (2 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: h5 — pawn h4→h5. Now Black to move.
  2. Best move: b2 — pawn b3→b2. Opponent replies Kc2 (king d3→c2).
  3. Best move: Rc4+ — rook a4→c4, gives check.

Tactical themes

advanced pawn, crushing, endgame, rook endgame, short. The key move is b2.

Position data

FEN: 8/8/8/1R6/r4p1P/1p1K1P2/k7/8 w - - 0 52

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Puzzle data from the Lichess puzzle database (CC0). Analysis powered by Stockfish 18 in your browser.