Chess puzzles for Saturday, 12 September 2026
Three new puzzles every day: easy, medium and hard. Try each one before you open the solution.
Easy: Black to move and mate in 1
Black to move and mate in 1. The opponent just played 15. Qe3.
Puzzle rating 972
Hint
Theme: mate in 1, queenside attack, middlegame tactic
Show solution
15... Bxb2#
FEN: r1b2rk1/pp3pbp/6pB/2pp4/4n3/1P1PQN1P/qPP2PP1/1NKR3R b - - 6 15
Medium: Black to move and win
Black to move and win. The opponent just played 23. Rad1.
Puzzle rating 1779
Hint
Theme: fork, trapped piece, middlegame tactic
Show solution
23... f4 24. Qh4 g5 25. Qh5 Bg4 26. Qxg4 Nxg4
FEN: r4r2/2pb2k1/p2p2pb/1p1Pnp2/8/P1P3Q1/1PB2PPP/3RR1K1 b - - 1 23
Hard: Black to move and mate in 5
Black to move and mate in 5. The opponent just played 31. Rg1.
Puzzle rating 2317
Hint
Theme: discovered attack, attraction (decoy), sacrifice
Show solution
31... Bg2+ 32. Bxg2 Rxh2+ 33. Kxh2 Qg3+ 34. Kh1 Qh4+ 35. Bh3 Qxh3#
FEN: 1k4rr/pp6/8/8/Pp1QBPq1/3P3b/7P/RN4RK b - - 4 31