Hard Chess Puzzle # 0044

Solve this hard chess puzzle and improve your chess games through improvement of your chess strategies and chess tactics. This hard puzzle is a subset of kids games.

Puzzle No : 0044

Difficulty level : hard

Description : Mate in 4 moves

Next Move : White

Player level : Advanced

Short URL for puzzle : https://gbud.in/g0qnq63

Hard chess puzzle 0044

Solve this hard chess puzzle online with solution

Solution to hard chess puzzle 0044

At this puzzle, next move is by White. The objective of the puzzle is to mate in 4 moves.

See the interactive solution at the puzzle page

Solution 1

Initial board position

This is the initial board position of hard chess puzzle 0044.

Move 1

Move by black

Nxd5 - Opponent thought that this is a best move since they captured a hanging rook and at the same time opened the diagonal for the queen to attack the knight. They have not realised that the protection to h7 is reduced and the diagonal to h8 is open

Move 2

Move by white

Qxh7+ - This sacrifice is required to open the h file since queen and rook are in battery formation

Move 3

Move by black

Qxh7 - Opponent's queen is forced to capture your queen. This is a zugzwang move

Move 4

Move by white

Rxh7 - Rook captures the queen. This rook can not be captured since it is supported by the knight.

Move 5

Move by black

Nf6 - Opponent's knight comes back to f6 after realising the mistake. This will also block the bishop's access to h8 and g7

Move 6

Move by white

Bxf6 - Bishop captures the hanging knight

Move 7

Move by black

Kf8 - King is trying to escape from the threat

Move 8

Move by white

Rh8# - King has no free squares to move and ends in a checkmate

Ganesh

Right moves for the solution to the hard chess puzzle 0044

Based on the objective of the puzzle, you have to make the right moves. Following are the right moves

Qxh7+, Rxh7, Bxf6, Rh8#

Explanation for the moves

Nxd5 - Opponent thought that this is a best move since they captured a hanging rook and at the same time opened the diagonal for the queen to attack the knight. They have not realised that the protection to h7 is reduced and the diagonal to h8 is open
Qxh7+ - This sacrifice is required to open the h file since queen and rook are in battery formation
Qxh7 - Opponent’s queen is forced to capture your queen. This is a zugzwang move
Rxh7 - Rook captures the queen. This rook can not be captured since it is supported by the knight.
Nf6 - Opponent’s knight comes back to f6 after realising the mistake. This will also block the bishop’s access to h8 and g7
Bxf6 - Bishop captures the hanging knight
Kf8 - King is trying to escape from the threat
Rh8# - King has no free squares to move and ends in a checkmate
For right move - You utilised the opponent’s mistake effectively and won the game. Good observation of the board
For wrong move - You should have won after the mistake made by the opponent. The protection to h7 is reduced. Try again