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Double check Puzzles: Challenging Level

Real puzzles from rated games · median rating 1795 · solved 32,914,682 times

Difficulty 1600–1999

These are double check puzzles rated 1600–1999, the Challenging level on this site. They come from real rated games: 9,281 puzzles, median rating 1795, solved 32,914,682 times. The twelve below are among the most-solved of them; try each on the board, then read the numbers further down to see how solutions at this level are built.

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By the numbers

double check puzzles at challenging level: the numbers

There are 9,281 double check puzzles at challenging level, solved 32,914,682 times in total. The median rating is 1795.

Often combined with

Discovered check · 8,489Middlegame tactics · 6,731Checkmate · 6,202Mate in 2 · 3,476Sacrifice · 2,356Kingside attack · 2,094Attraction · 1,980Endgame tactics · 1,919Mate in 3 · 1,616Advanced pawn · 1,030

Which openings produce them?

Sicilian Defence · 351Italian Game · 233French Defence · 167Scandinavian Defense · 134Caro–Kann Defence · 132Queen's Pawn Game · 119King's Gambit · 88Four Knights Game · 84

Counts computed from the full puzzle set.

How the solutions work · counted by a rules engine

What a typical double check solution looks like

Sample: 2,000 double check puzzles at challenging level (21.5% of all 9,281).

6.8% need 1 solver move, 47.8% need 2 solver moves, 35.8% need 3 solver moves, 8.2% need 4 solver moves, 1.4% need 5 or more solver moves. Median rating: 1700 for the shortest solutions, 1920 for the longest.

43.4% open with a knight move. The first move captures in 34.2% and gives check in 93.4%; 66.5% end in checkmate, 26.4% involve a sacrifice, 56.3% have White to move.

34.2%first move captures
93.4%first move gives check
66.5%end in checkmate
26.4%involve a sacrifice

How many moves does the solver need?

1 solver move
6.8% · median rating 1700
2 solver moves
47.8% · median rating 1781
3 solver moves
35.8% · median rating 1810
4 solver moves
8.2% · median rating 1811
5+ solver moves
1.4% · median rating 1920

Which piece plays the key move?

Key move by a knight
43.4%
Key move by a rook
19.2%
Key move by a queen
13.4%
Key move by a bishop
12.7%
Key move by a pawn
10.9%

What does the solver win?

Captures nothing along the line
42%
Most valuable capture: pawn
21.3%
Most valuable capture: queen
13.5%
Most valuable capture: rook
13.2%
Most valuable capture: bishop
6.6%
Most valuable capture: knight
3.5%

Material balance along the whole line, counting every capture by both sides (pawn 1, minor piece 3, rook 5, queen 9):

No material gained (mating or positional)
57.2%
Up to 2 pawns’ worth
18%
3–4 points (about a minor piece)
7.8%
5–8 points (a rook or more)
11.6%
9 or more points (a queen’s worth)
5.4%

How much is left on the board?

28 or more pieces on the board
5.6%
21–27 pieces
48.2%
13–20 pieces
44.6%
12 pieces or fewer
1.6%

How it is counted: every puzzle in the sample is replayed move by move with a chess rules engine. A sacrifice means a piece that is captured on the very next ply and was worth more than what it captured itself (pawn 1, minor piece 3, rook 5, queen 9). Sample of 2,000 puzzles. Percentages are shares of the sample.

Where it happens

Where the key move lands

Where the solver’s first move ends, drawn from their own side (rank 1 is their back rank). Busiest squares: f6 (11.4%), f7 (9.9%), g7 (8.8%), e7 (6.4%), g6 (6%).

1.52.44.151.528
1.51.26.49.98.85.97
1.223.33.511.463.76
1.31.81.22.92.81.65
4
3
2
1
abcdefgh

Counted from the same 2,000-puzzle sample. Squares under 1% are left blank.

Study positions

The most-solved double check puzzles, from each difficulty level. Play each one on the board, then open the answer for the full line.

♜♝♚
♟♕
♝♟♟
♟♟
♔♙
♙♙♜♙
♖♖
Black to move · rating 1600 · solved 1,222 times · Mate in 4.
Reveal line

Opponent's last move: Qxg7

Solution: a4+ → Ka3 → Bc5+ → b4 → axb3+ → Kxb3 → Ra3#

♜♜
♟♟♝♟♚
♟♝♟
♙♗♙
♕
♙♗
♙♙♔
♛♖
White to move · rating 1601 · solved 1,220 times · Mate in 1.
Reveal line

Opponent's last move: Qxf1

Solution: Bf6#

♜♞♝♛♜♚
♟♟♘♟♟
♟♟
♕♟♟
♙
♙♙
♙♙♙♙
♖♗♔♖
White to move · rating 1606 · solved 1,099 times · Mate in 3.
Reveal line

Opponent's last move: Kg8

Solution: Nh6+ → Kh8 → Qg8+ → Rxg8 → Nf7#

♜♚
♟♟♟
♟♟
♟♙♞
♙♙
♙♙
♕♙♙
♔
Black to move · rating 1656 · solved 2,017 times · Mate in 2.
Reveal line

Opponent's last move: Kxf1

Solution: Ng3+ → Ke1 → Rf1#

♜♜♚
♟♟♟♟
♘♞
♞
♕
♙♟
♙♙♘♔
♖♗♛
White to move · rating 1673 · solved 1,184 times · Mate in 4.
Reveal line

Opponent's last move: Kh8

Solution: Nf7+ → Kg8 → Nh6+ → Kh8 → Qg8+ → Nxg8 → Nf7#

♜♝♚
♟♟
♟♝♗
♟♕
♛
♙♙♙♙
♖♔
White to move · rating 1696 · solved 1,406 times · Mate in 2.
Reveal line

Opponent's last move: Qxc3

Solution: Bf7+ → Kh8 → Qg8#

♜♝♚♜
♝♟♟
♟♟
♛♙♟
♟♙
♘♙♙
♙♙♞♗♙
♖♗♕♖♔
Black to move · rating 1723 · solved 1,318 times · Mate in 3.
Reveal line

Opponent's last move: Kg1

Solution: Nh3+ → Kh1 → Qg1+ → Rxg1 → Nf2#

♜♜♚
♟♟♝♟
♖
♗
♛♗♟♙
♝♕♙
♔♖
White to move · rating 1800 · solved 1,462 times · Mate in 2.
Reveal line

Opponent's last move: Qa4

Solution: Rxh7+ → Kxh7 → Rh6#

♚♗♜
♖
♜♕♟
♟♟♟♟
♙
♙♙♛♙
♔
White to move · rating 1808 · solved 1,093 times · Mate in 2.
Reveal line

Opponent's last move: Kb8

Solution: Rb7+ → Kxc8 → Qd7#

♜♝♜♚
♟♟♛♟
♟♟
♙♟♞♕
♘
♙♟
♙♙♙
♖♗♔♖
White to move · rating 1838 · solved 1,185 times · Mate in 3.
Reveal line

Opponent's last move: Ne5

Solution: Qh8+ → Kxh8 → Ng6+ → Kg8 → Rh8#

♚♝♜
♜♟♟♟
♟♟♗♞
♛
♙♘
♙♝
♙♙♙♙
♘♖♔
White to move · rating 1867 · solved 1,048 times · Mate in 2.
Reveal line

Opponent's last move: Bxf3

Solution: Ne6+ → Kc8 → Rd8#

♜♝♚♜
♟♟♟♟♟♟
♝♟
♞♙♙
♘♙
♙♙♙♗
♖♗♕♖♔
Black to move · rating 1980 · solved 1,064 times · Mate in 2.
Reveal line

Opponent's last move: fxg3

Solution: Ne2+ → Kf1 → Nxg3#

Positions and move sequences come from real rated games (CC0 data). Engine evaluations, where shown, are stored evaluations of the position (CC0).

Same theme, other levels

Double check puzzles by difficulty

Advanced levelDeveloping level