Any other knight-move would allow the black queen to capture your rook. That implies the black king is forced to move. Intermediate Chess Puzzle #13 BlackвЂ™s queen is threatening to capture your rook on a7. Note how 2.Bxc4+ at the same time clears the 2nd rank so that your queen defends the pawn on f2. White attracts the black rook to a6, since 1вЂ¦ Rxa6 allows 2.Bxc4+ followed by Bxa6. The Solution 1.Rd8+ Kg7 2.h6# is a checkmate that serves as a reminder that you should never underestimate the tactical potential of a pawn! Intermediate Chess Puzzle #12 White to play.

Intermediate Chess Puzzle #11 Black is threatening to play Qh1# How will you deal with this threat? If the queen goes to c2 or c3 (where else?) then black plays 2вЂ¦ Bxf1! with a discovered attack on whiteвЂ™s queen by the rook on c8, followed by retreating the bishop back to safety on the next move. Note how 1вЂ¦ Bc4! is a beautiful zwichenzug against the white queen. The Solution 1вЂ¦ Bc4! 2.Qc3 Bxf1 3.Qd2 Ba6 wins a whole rook. Intermediate Chess Puzzle #10 Black can play 1вЂ¦ Bxf1 and win some material in the process. Black is willing to sacrifice the bishop because there will be nothing white can do to stop the promotion. The Solution 1вЂ¦ Bb2 is a tactical idea based on the presence of the advanced pawn on c2. Can you find the key that opens the door to a tactic? Intermediate Chess Puzzle #9 Black to move. The Solution 1.Qh4! is a neat double attack that threatens 1) Qxh2# as well as 2) Qc4, trapping the undefended rook on a2. Before you try save the knight, isnвЂ™t there a better idea?

Intermediate Chess Puzzle #8 White is threatening to capture your knight on c5. White must get their king out of check, then black can capture the bishop on g2. The Solution 1вЂ¦ Qe5+ uses a zwichenzug to unpin the black pawn on f3. Intermediate Chess Puzzle #7 Black wants to play fxg2, but the f3-pawn is pinned by the rook on f2. If black captures your rook, 1вЂ¦ Kxf5, then 2.f7! and the advanced pawn will promote. (If 2вЂ¦ Rf4, then 3.Nxf4 also wins for white.) Intermediate Chess Puzzle #6 White to play. The Solution White realised the black rook on d4 is trapped and found 1.Rxe6+ Kxe6 2.Ke3! White will win the trapped rook. Intermediate Chess Puzzle #5 Can you spot a tactical idea for white? The Solution 1вЂ¦ d5! 2.Bb3 d4 is a pawn tactic that forks the white knight and bishop. (1.Nd6+ allows 1вЂ¦ Kd7, and the king escapes.) Intermediate Chess Puzzle #4 Black to move. Black also canвЂ™t capture either the knight or rookвЂ“else the king would still be in check. 1.Nb6+ is a double check, which means the king must move. The Solution 1.Nb6+ Kb8 2.Rc8# is a forced checkmate. (1вЂ¦ Qxh5 2.Rxh5 Rc1#) Get your copy of the 7 skills training modelДownload this helpful summaryВ of the important skills you need to train! Intermediate Chess Puzzle #3 Black is threatening Qxc1+. 1вЂ¦ Qxh5 wins the knight and stops the checkmate threat at the same time. Black takes advantage of whiteвЂ™s back-rank weakness. Intermediate Chess Puzzle #2 White is threatening Qxg7#. The point is that 1вЂ¦ Kxf7 attracts the king to a square that allows white to play 2.Qb7+ followed by Qxa8. Be sure toВ study the solutions too! Intermediate Chess Puzzle #1 Can you find a tactic for white?

Use it to practice the tactical patterns you learnt on the pageвЂ“ chess tactics for intermediate players. HereвЂ™s 14 intermediate level chess puzzles.

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