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Pin Puzzles: Developing Level

Real puzzles from rated games · median rating 1405 · solved 392,549,490 times

Difficulty 1200–1599

These are pin puzzles rated 1200–1599, the Developing level on this site. They come from real rated games: 105,882 puzzles, median rating 1405, solved 392,549,490 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

pin puzzles at developing level: the numbers

There are 105,882 pin puzzles at developing level, solved 392,549,490 times in total. The median rating is 1405.

Often combined with

Middlegame tactics · 59,748Endgame tactics · 40,344Checkmate · 23,447Mate in 2 · 13,511Kingside attack · 12,308Sacrifice · 8,267Mate in 1 · 7,178Deflection · 6,232

Which openings produce them?

Sicilian Defence · 3,818Italian Game · 1,607Caro–Kann Defence · 1,422French Defence · 1,391Queen's Pawn Game · 1,258Scandinavian Defense · 1,040Scotch Game · 872Queen's Gambit Declined · 738

Counts computed from the full puzzle set.

How the solutions work · counted by a rules engine

What a typical pin solution looks like

Sample: 2,000 pin puzzles at developing level (1.9% of all 105,882).

6.8% need 1 solver move, 61.8% need 2 solver moves, 27.8% need 3 solver moves, 3.2% need 4 solver moves. Median rating: 1376 for the shortest solutions, 1467 for the longest.

32.8% open with a rook move. The first move captures in 41.2% and gives check in 54.6%; 21.8% end in checkmate, 32.4% involve a sacrifice, 49.6% have White to move.

41.2%first move captures
54.6%first move gives check
21.8%end in checkmate
32.4%involve a sacrifice

How many moves does the solver need?

1 solver move
6.8% · median rating 1376
2 solver moves
61.8% · median rating 1397
3 solver moves
27.8% · median rating 1433
4 solver moves
3.2% · median rating 1467

Which piece plays the key move?

Key move by a rook
32.8%
Key move by a queen
23.2%
Key move by a knight
20.6%
Key move by a bishop
18.5%
Key move by a pawn
4%
Key move by the king
0.8%

What does the solver win?

Most valuable capture: queen
45.8%
Most valuable capture: rook
17.9%
Most valuable capture: pawn
12.6%
Captures nothing along the line
10.9%
Most valuable capture: bishop
6.8%
Most valuable capture: knight
6%

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)
18.6%
Up to 2 pawns’ worth
14.5%
3–4 points (about a minor piece)
23.9%
5–8 points (a rook or more)
28%
9 or more points (a queen’s worth)
15%

How much is left on the board?

28 or more pieces on the board
5.4%
21–27 pieces
38%
13–20 pieces
50.2%
12 pieces or fewer
6.3%

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: h6 (8.6%), f6 (7.6%), g6 (5.8%), e6 (4.4%), f7 (3.5%).

1.222.43.11.21.18
1.71.41.93.51.31.47
1.51.31.42.34.47.65.88.66
2.51.13.42.12.823.25
2.91.11.61.32.34
1.61.111.73
2
1.31
abcdefgh

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

Study positions

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

♜
♟♚♛♜♖
♟♟
♟♕
♙♙
♟
♙♙♙
♔♖
White to move · rating 1248 · solved 4,645 times · 3 solver moves to find.
Reveal line

Opponent's last move: Rf8

Solution: Rxg7 → Qxg7 → Rh7 → Qxh7 → Qxh7+

♗♚♟
♟♟
♙♙♛
♙♟♞♙
♕
♙
♖♔
Black to move · rating 1298 · solved 5,298 times · 3 solver moves to find.
Reveal line

Opponent's last move: hxg4

Solution: Qxg4+ → Qg3 → Ne2+ → Kh2 → Nxg3

♟♚
♟♟♞♟
♟♟♕
♙♟
♙♙♘♙
♛♙♔
White to move · rating 1308 · solved 4,731 times · 2 solver moves to find.
Reveal line

Opponent's last move: e4

Solution: Ng5+ → Kg8 → Qxe2

♖♜♚
♟♕♜♟
♟♟
♟♛
♞
♘
♙♙♙♙♙
♖♔
White to move · rating 1343 · solved 4,626 times · 2 solver moves to find.
Reveal line

Opponent's last move: Rd7

Solution: Qxd7 → Rxc8 → Qxc8+

♚♟♟
♔
♖♙
♙
♜♟♙
Black to move · rating 1350 · solved 5,241 times · 3 solver moves to find.
Reveal line

Opponent's last move: f4

Solution: Ra5+ → Kd4 → Ra4 → Rxa4 → b1=Q

♜♚
♟♛♝♟♟
♟♟♞♟
♟♝
♙♗
♘♕
♙♙♙♗♙♙
♔♖
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 1422 · solved 4,673 times · 2 solver moves to find.
Reveal line

Opponent's last move: Bd5

Solution: Rxc6+ → Bxc6 → Rc8

♜
♟♟
♟♚
♟♟
♙♟♛♙
♙♙
♔
♖♕
White to move · rating 1433 · solved 5,718 times · 2 solver moves to find.
Reveal line

Opponent's last move: Kg6

Solution: Qh5+ → Kf6 → Rf1

♜♜
♟♟♟♖♝♚
♟♞♙♟♟
♛
♙
♙♕
♙♙♙♙
♖♗♔
White to move · rating 1436 · solved 5,680 times · Mate in 2.
Reveal line

Opponent's last move: Qd5

Solution: Qxh6+ → Kg8 → Qxg7#

♝
♟♙♕
♟♚
♙♜♟♟
♛
♖
♗♙♙♙
♔
Black to move · rating 1466 · solved 4,580 times · Mate in 2.
Reveal line

Opponent's last move: Rh3

Solution: Qxh3+ → Kg1 → Qxg2#

♚♟♟
♙♝♟
♗♟
♙
♔♙♙
White to move · rating 1484 · solved 5,588 times · 2 solver moves to find.
Reveal line

Opponent's last move: Be6

Solution: d7 → Bxd5 → d8=Q

♚
♟♛♝♟
♟
♕♗
♙
♙♟♙♔
White to move · rating 1565 · solved 5,203 times · Mate in 2.
Reveal line

Opponent's last move: Bg7

Solution: Qa8+ → Qf8 → Qxf8#

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

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