Tactical Challenges
Chess Puzzle No. 294: The black king left safety a little too soon
20
Oct
Oct
White to play right after the black king recaptured on f7. The position looks quiet, but that advanced king might soon regret it. It's your turn to find the continuation.
TacticsEasyWhite to play
White to play and win material
Puzzle: Lichess open database (CC0) · Pieces: Cburnett, Wikimedia (CC BY-SA 3.0)
See the solution explained
Ng5+ checks the black king from g5, leaving the opponent five possible replies.
In response, Black plays Ke7, pulling the king back to the seventh rank.
Nxe4 then lets the white knight capture the black queen sitting on e4, a decisive material gain.
Remember the pattern: an in-between check forces the king to move before the knight scoops up the undefended queen. A classic fork worth spotting in your own games.
Players rated around 1100 often meet this kind of pattern while training on a classic wooden board, which makes every square easy to read. If you want to practise in good conditions, have a look at these solid wooden chess sets or, for taking your board along, these folding travel chess sets.
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