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Intermezzo (in-between move) Puzzles: Developing Level

Real puzzles from rated games · median rating 1434 · solved 76,467,691 times

Difficulty 1200–1599

These are intermezzo (in-between move) puzzles rated 1200–1599, the Developing level on this site. They come from real rated games: 22,605 puzzles, median rating 1434, solved 76,467,691 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 developing level: the numbers

There are 22,605 intermezzo (in-between move) puzzles at developing level, solved 76,467,691 times in total. The median rating is 1434.

Often combined with

Middlegame tactics · 13,733Endgame tactics · 6,602Hanging piece · 3,426Opening tactics · 2,270Kingside attack · 1,760Capture the defender · 1,600Fork · 1,016Checkmate · 917Pin · 841

Which openings produce them?

Sicilian Defence · 1,527French Defence · 470Queen's Pawn Game · 466Caro–Kann Defence · 419Italian Game · 390English Opening · 350Queen's Gambit Declined · 343Scandinavian Defense · 305

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 developing level (8.8% of all 22,605).

81.6% need 2 solver moves, 17.1% need 3 solver moves, 1.2% need 4 solver moves. Median rating: 1417 for the shortest solutions, 1501 for the longest.

28.2% open with a queen move. The first move captures in 75.6% and gives check in 71.2%; 4.6% end in checkmate, 9.8% involve a sacrifice, 53.2% have White to move.

75.6%first move captures
71.2%first move gives check
4.6%end in checkmate
9.8%involve a sacrifice

How many moves does the solver need?

2 solver moves
81.6% · median rating 1417
3 solver moves
17.1% · median rating 1468
4 solver moves
1.2% · median rating 1501

Which piece plays the key move?

Key move by a queen
28.2%
Key move by a rook
28%
Key move by a knight
18.8%
Key move by a bishop
17.2%
Key move by a pawn
7.5%

What does the solver win?

Most valuable capture: queen
38.8%
Most valuable capture: rook
31.8%
Most valuable capture: knight
13%
Most valuable capture: bishop
13%
Most valuable capture: pawn
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)
1%
Up to 2 pawns’ worth
5.5%
3–4 points (about a minor piece)
36.2%
5–8 points (a rook or more)
31.2%
9 or more points (a queen’s worth)
26%

How much is left on the board?

28 or more pieces on the board
8%
21–27 pieces
49.2%
13–20 pieces
39.6%
12 pieces or fewer
3.2%

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%), e7 (9.7%), d8 (7.6%), e8 (6.5%), f8 (4.4%).

3.21.62.97.66.54.41.28
1.23.19.732.52.47
3.624.311.431.76
1.12.82.52.25
11.94
3
2
1
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.

♚♝♜
♟♞♟♟
♞♟♗♟
♟♙♟
♜♕♙
♙♙♙
♙♙
♔♖♘♖
Black to move · rating 1301 · solved 11,727 times · 2 solver moves to find.
Reveal line

Opponent's last move: Bxd6

Solution: Rxd4 → Rxd4 → Bxd6

♜♞♜♚
♟♟♛♝♟♟
♟
♟♝
♙
♘♗
♙♙♙♙
♖♘♕♔♖
White to move · rating 1323 · solved 3,413 times · 2 solver moves to find.
Reveal line

Opponent's last move: Bxf5

Solution: Qd5+ → Kh8 → Bxf5

♚
♟♟♟♟
♟
♟♕♟
♜
♙♖♙♔
♛
White to move · rating 1324 · solved 3,056 times · Mate in 3.
Reveal line

Opponent's last move: exf5

Solution: Rc8+ → Kh7 → Qxf5+ → g6 → Qxf7#

♜♚
♟♟
♟♟
♟
♛♖♙
♙♙♙
♔
White to move · rating 1348 · solved 2,584 times · 2 solver moves to find.
Reveal line

Opponent's last move: Qxc3

Solution: Rxe8+ → Kg7 → bxc3

♜
♚
♗♟♟
♟♛♟
♟♙
♙♙♕♙
♔♙
White to move · rating 1356 · solved 3,783 times · 2 solver moves to find.
Reveal line

Opponent's last move: Qxd5

Solution: Qa7+ → Kh8 → Bxd5

♜
♟♟♚♟♟
♟♜
♞
♕
♙
♙♙♙♙
♖♘♖♔
Black to move · rating 1358 · solved 2,937 times · 3 solver moves to find.
Reveal line

Opponent's last move: fxe3

Solution: Rxf1+ → Kxf1 → Nxe3+ → Kg1 → Nxg4

♜♚
♟♛♝♟♟
♟♟♞♟
♟♝
♙♗
♘♕
♙♙♙♗♙♙
♔♖
White to move · rating 1386 · solved 4,676 times · 2 solver moves to find.
Reveal line

Opponent's last move: Bxh5

Solution: Bxf6 → Bxf6 → Bxh5

♚♜
♟♟
♟♞♟
♝♘♟♜
♖
♙♙♗♙
♙♙♕♙
♖♔
Black to move · rating 1410 · solved 3,008 times · Mate in 2.
Reveal line

Opponent's last move: gxh3

Solution: Rxg3+ → Kh2 → Rhxh3#

♛♜♚
♜♟♟
♟♟♞♟
♕♝
♙
♙♙♘♙
♙♗♙♙
♖♖♔
Black to move · rating 1412 · solved 3,157 times · 3 solver moves to find.
Reveal line

Opponent's last move: Qxa5

Solution: Rxc1 → Qxd8 → Rxe1+ → Nxe1 → Rxd8

♜♛♚♜
♟♟♝♞♟♟
♟♟♟♝
♘
♙♙
♗♙
♙♙♕♙♙
♖♖♔
White to move · rating 1469 · solved 3,848 times · Mate in 2.
Reveal line

Opponent's last move: Bxh6

Solution: Nf6+ → Kf8 → Qxh6#

♚
♟
♖♟
♙
♙♞♙♜♙
♙
♔
White to move · rating 1534 · solved 2,621 times · 2 solver moves to find.
Reveal line

Opponent's last move: Rxf3

Solution: Rb8+ → Kh7 → gxf3

♜♚
♟♝
♗♟♟
♟
♛♙
♙♕♙
♖♔
White to move · rating 1551 · solved 2,765 times · 2 solver moves to find.
Reveal line

Opponent's last move: Qxf3

Solution: Qxg7+ → Kxg7 → gxf3

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 levelChallenging level