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Intermezzo (in-between move) Puzzles: Challenging Level

Real puzzles from rated games · median rating 1776 · solved 58,949,407 times

Difficulty 1600–1999

These are intermezzo (in-between move) puzzles rated 1600–1999, the Challenging level on this site. They come from real rated games: 23,635 puzzles, median rating 1776, solved 58,949,407 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.

All intermezzo (in-between move) puzzles Print a worksheet

By the numbers

intermezzo (in-between move) puzzles at challenging level: the numbers

There are 23,635 intermezzo (in-between move) puzzles at challenging level, solved 58,949,407 times in total. The median rating is 1776.

Often combined with

Middlegame tactics · 15,649Endgame tactics · 6,301Sacrifice · 2,580Kingside attack · 2,177Fork · 1,996Opening tactics · 1,685Hanging piece · 1,674Pin · 1,589

Which openings produce them?

Sicilian Defence · 1,287French Defence · 469Queen's Pawn Game · 387Caro–Kann Defence · 376Italian Game · 352Scandinavian Defense · 290Queen's Gambit Declined · 286English Opening · 262

Counts computed from the full puzzle set.

How the solutions work · counted by a rules engine

What a typical intermezzo (in-between move) solution looks like

Sample: 2,000 intermezzo (in-between move) puzzles at challenging level (8.5% of all 23,635).

59.6% need 2 solver moves, 35.4% need 3 solver moves, 4.3% need 4 solver moves, 0.7% need 5 or more solver moves. Median rating: 1757 for the shortest solutions, 1891 for the longest.

26.6% open with a rook move. The first move captures in 63.2% and gives check in 58.8%; 3.6% end in checkmate, 17.2% involve a sacrifice, 52.4% have White to move.

63.2%first move captures
58.8%first move gives check
3.6%end in checkmate
17.2%involve a sacrifice

How many moves does the solver need?

2 solver moves
59.6% · median rating 1757
3 solver moves
35.4% · median rating 1786
4 solver moves
4.3% · median rating 1875
5+ solver moves
0.7% · median rating 1891

Which piece plays the key move?

Key move by a rook
26.6%
Key move by a queen
25.6%
Key move by a knight
19.9%
Key move by a bishop
16.8%
Key move by a pawn
10.6%

What does the solver win?

Most valuable capture: queen
37.6%
Most valuable capture: rook
28.8%
Most valuable capture: knight
15%
Most valuable capture: bishop
13.5%
Most valuable capture: pawn
5.1%

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)
3.2%
Up to 2 pawns’ worth
9.6%
3–4 points (about a minor piece)
38.9%
5–8 points (a rook or more)
34.2%
9 or more points (a queen’s worth)
14%

How much is left on the board?

28 or more pieces on the board
7.8%
21–27 pieces
49%
13–20 pieces
39.5%
12 pieces or fewer
3.6%

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 (8.7%), d5 (4.8%), e7 (4.8%), c6 (4.3%), e8 (4.3%).

2.12.44.14.33.48
1.72.54.842.43.67
4.32.93.88.73.51.66
11.74.82.53.21.51.65
1.21.61.71.82.34
3
2
1.41
abcdefgh

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

Study positions

The most-solved intermezzo (in-between move) puzzles, from each difficulty level. Play each one on the board, then open the answer for the full line.

♜♜♚
♟♟♟♟
♝♛
♕
♟♞
♗♙♖♙
♙♘♙
♖♔
White to move · rating 1604 · solved 1,164 times · 3 solver moves to find.
Reveal line

Opponent's last move: Be6

Solution: Rxg4+ → Bxg4 → Qxf7+ → Kh8 → hxg4

♟♚
♟
♖
♟
♙♟♞
♙♔
♖
Black to move · rating 1620 · solved 1,417 times · 2 solver moves to find.
Reveal line

Opponent's last move: Rxd5

Solution: Nxe1+ → Kf1 → exd5

♜♜♚
♟♝♟♝♟
♟♟♟♖♛♟
♙♘
♗
♙♙♙♘♙♙
♖♔
White to move · rating 1629 · solved 1,022 times · 2 solver moves to find.
Reveal line

Opponent's last move: Qxg6

Solution: Rxf8+ → Kxf8 → Nxg6+

♜
♟
♖♟♚
♟♜♟♟
♙
♙♖♔♙
♙♙
Black to move · rating 1636 · solved 1,093 times · 2 solver moves to find.
Reveal line

Opponent's last move: Rxb6

Solution: Re8+ → Kf3 → cxb6

♜♚
♟♝♞♟♝♟
♟♟
♗♙
♙♙
♙♗♙
♖♔
White to move · rating 1664 · solved 1,890 times · 4 solver moves to find.
Reveal line

Opponent's last move: Nxc7

Solution: Bxb7 → Rb8 → Bxc7 → Rxb7 → Rd8+ → Bf8 → Bd6

♖
♟
♙♟
♙
♔♟
♜♚
White to move · rating 1679 · solved 1,034 times · 2 solver moves to find.
Reveal line

Opponent's last move: Rxc1

Solution: Rf8+ → Kg1 → Kxc1

♜♛♜♚
♟♗♟♟
♟♝♟
♟♕
♝
♗♙
♙♙♙♙♙
♖♔
White to move · rating 1702 · solved 1,055 times · Mate in 2.
Reveal line

Opponent's last move: gxf6

Solution: Qg3+ → Kh8 → Bxf6#

♜♛♜♚
♟♞♟
♟♝♟
♟♟♘
♟♙
♙♙♙♙
♙♙♙
♖♕♖♔
White to move · rating 1706 · solved 1,955 times · 3 solver moves to find.
Reveal line

Opponent's last move: gxh6

Solution: Qg4+ → Qg5 → Nxh6+ → Kh7 → Qxg5

♜♜♚
♟♟♝♟
♟♟♟
♙♞
♙♙♙♟
♘♗♝
♙♙
♖♖♘♔
White to move · rating 1709 · solved 1,045 times · 3 solver moves to find.
Reveal line

Opponent's last move: Bxg3

Solution: Rxf8+ → Rxf8 → hxg3 → Nxg3+ → Kg2

♜♜♚
♟♟♞♟♟
♙♟
♖♗
♙
♛♙
♙♕♙♙
♖♔
Black to move · rating 1711 · solved 1,562 times · 2 solver moves to find.
Reveal line

Opponent's last move: Bxf5

Solution: Qxf3+ → Rg2 → Rxf5

♜♜♚
♟♟♟♟♟
♞♞
♝
♝♗♙
♙♙♙♘♙♗♙
♖♖♔
White to move · rating 1714 · solved 2,340 times · 2 solver moves to find.
Reveal line

Opponent's last move: Bxc3

Solution: Rxd8 → Rxd8 → Nxc3

♜♚
♟♟♟
♟♛♟
♞
♘
♙♕♙
♙♙♖♙♙
♔
Black to move · rating 1715 · solved 1,429 times · 4 solver moves to find.
Reveal line

Opponent's last move: Qf3

Solution: Rxd4 → Re8+ → Kh7 → Qxf6 → Rd1+ → Kg2 → gxf6

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

Intermezzo (in-between move) puzzles by difficulty

Advanced levelDeveloping level