Real positions from rated games. Narrow them by motif, difficulty or rating, then solve or print each one.
4524 real-game Defensive move puzzles in this collection
What is a defensive move?
Defensive puzzles ask you to hold, not to win: find the only move that parries the threat, escapes the net or forces perpetual resources for the defender.
How to spot it
Identify the opponent’s real threat first, then search for replies that neutralize it while conceding the least — counter-attacks and in-between checks included.
What this set trains
These sets build resilience under pressure — the skill that saves half-points and punishes overextended attacks.
How the solutions work · counted by a rules engine
What a typical defensive move solution looks like
Sample: 18,363 defensive move puzzles (5% of all 367,183).
41.3% need 2 solver moves, 39.8% need 3 solver moves, 12.5% need 4 solver moves, 6.4% need 5 or more solver moves. Median rating: 1895 for the shortest solutions, 2398 for the longest.
29.9% open with the king move. The first move captures in 35.8% and gives check in 17.6%; 0.1% end in checkmate, 8.2% involve a sacrifice, 50.8% have White to move.
35.8%first move captures
17.6%first move gives check
0.1%end in checkmate
8.2%involve a sacrifice
How many moves does the solver need?
2 solver moves
41.3% · median rating 1895
3 solver moves
39.8% · median rating 2077
4 solver moves
12.5% · median rating 2242
5+ solver moves
6.4% · median rating 2398
Which piece plays the key move?
Key move by the king
29.9%
Key move by a pawn
24.5%
Key move by a rook
18.1%
Key move by a queen
11.5%
Key move by a bishop
8.9%
Key move by a knight
7%
What does the solver win?
Captures nothing along the line
30.6%
Most valuable capture: rook
20.7%
Most valuable capture: pawn
17.5%
Most valuable capture: queen
15.2%
Most valuable capture: bishop
8.5%
Most valuable capture: knight
7.6%
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)
49.4%
Up to 2 pawns’ worth
18.1%
3–4 points (about a minor piece)
17.2%
5–8 points (a rook or more)
12.2%
9 or more points (a queen’s worth)
3.1%
How much is left on the board?
28 or more pieces on the board
1.9%
21–27 pieces
15.6%
13–20 pieces
35.7%
12 pieces or fewer
46.8%
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 18,363 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 (3.1%), g5 (3.1%), e5 (3.1%), e4 (3.1%), f5 (3%).
1.1
1
8
1.2
1.3
1.8
1.9
2.1
1.3
1.2
7
1.5
1.9
2.3
2.7
3.1
2.4
1.7
6
1.1
1.7
2.1
2.4
3.1
3
3.1
2.2
5
1.2
1.9
2.2
2.6
3.1
3
2.8
1.7
4
1
1.6
1.7
2.2
2.4
2.2
1.2
3
1.5
1.5
2
1.8
1.5
2
1.3
1.1
1
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
Counted from the same 18,363-puzzle sample. Squares under 1% are left blank.
Study positions
The most-solved defensive move puzzles, from each difficulty level. Play each one on the board, then open the answer for the full line.
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White to move · rating 1064 · solved 8,490 times
· 3 solver moves to find. The solver captures a bishop.Reveal line
Opponent's last move: c5
Solution: Nb6+ → Kc6 → Nxa8 → Kb7 → Nb6
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White to move · rating 1150 · solved 3,114 times
· 3 solver moves to find. The solver captures 2 pieces (queen, rook).Reveal line
Opponent's last move: Qe4+
Solution: Qxe4 → fxe4 → Bxd7 → a3 → Be6
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Black to move · rating 1183 · solved 7,835 times
· 3 solver moves to find. The solver captures a pawn.Reveal line
Opponent's last move: Ke5
Solution: Kg5 → f4+ → Kg4 → Kf6 → Kxg3
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Black to move · rating 1315 · solved 3,894 times
· 2 solver moves to find. The solver captures a knight.Reveal line
Opponent's last move: Nxd5
Solution: Kxd5 → Kg4 → Be7
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Black to move · rating 1386 · solved 4,569 times
· 3 solver moves to find. The solver captures a rook.Reveal line
Opponent's last move: Rxg4
Solution: Rb4+ → Kf3 → Rxg4 → Kxg4 → a5
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Black to move · rating 1465 · solved 6,428 times
· 2 solver moves to find. A quiet solution: no capture and no mate.Reveal line
Opponent's last move: Rb1
Solution: c2 → Rc1 → Kc3
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White to move · rating 1544 · solved 4,239 times
· 3 solver moves to find. The solver captures a rook.Reveal line
Opponent's last move: Rd7
Solution: Bc6 → Ke7 → Bxd7 → Kxd7 → Kf3
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Black to move · rating 1626 · solved 2,020 times
· 2 solver moves to find. The solver captures a rook.Reveal line
Opponent's last move: Ke4
Solution: Rxf4+ → gxf4+ → Kf6
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White to move · rating 1630 · solved 2,228 times
· 3 solver moves to find. The solver captures a bishop.Reveal line
Opponent's last move: Bxf6
Solution: Rf7+ → Kg8 → Rxf6 → Rh1 → Rf5
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Black to move · rating 1634 · solved 1,835 times
· 3 solver moves to find. The solver captures a rook.Reveal line
Opponent's last move: Rd1+
Solution: Ke3 → Kf1 → Rh1+ → Kg2 → Rxd1
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Black to move · rating 2002 · solved 817 times
· 3 solver moves to find. A quiet solution: no capture and no mate.Reveal line
Opponent's last move: Qh7+
Solution: Kc1 → Qxf7 → Rb2+ → Ka7 → d1=Q
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White to move · rating 2003 · solved 1,069 times
· 3 solver moves to find. The solver captures a queen.Reveal line
Opponent's last move: exd5
Solution: Qc6 → Qxb4+ → Kf1 → Qa5 → Rxa5
Positions and move sequences come from real rated games (CC0 data). Engine evaluations, where shown, are stored evaluations of the position (CC0).
ChessPuzzlePrint