Puzzle zo5VX_M — ELO 2549

By · · 3 min read · Updated May 8, 2026

This is a Black-to-move puzzle rated 2549 ELO. The first move is d8e8, tagged with 10 interpretable concepts and Lichess themes: crushing, endgame, exposedKing.

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Position

Black to move. ELO 2549. Themes: crushing, endgame, exposedKing, rookEndgame, veryLong.

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FEN: 3k4/3r3p/5Kp1/8/5P1P/R7/8/8 b - - 0 66

Show solution (8 ply)

Try to find the move yourself first — look for the rarest concept firing on this position before peeking. Solution sequence: d8e8 a3a8 d7d8 a8d8 e8d8 f6g7 d8e8 h4h5

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Concepts that fire on this position

Our SAE pipeline tagged this position with 10 active features. Each links to a page documenting that pattern in detail.

Why this puzzle is hard

The rarest pattern firing here is Rook near the king in an endgame, typically on the 2nd or 7th rank…, which appears in only 12 of our 9,950 puzzles (0.12%). Rare patterns tend to be the bottleneck — players who haven't internalised them will fail this puzzle even when their tactical calculation is otherwise solid.

The puzzle's Lichess ELO of 2549 reflects this: solvers below that rating typically miss the cue entirely.

Similar puzzles

Puzzles sharing the most concept tags with this one — a stronger signal than theme overlap because it reflects the actual patterns Leela recognises.

Train this pattern

Click through to the Climbchess trainer to attempt the position interactively against the same Leela network that tagged it. The trainer adapts difficulty using your live concept-recognition profile — it surfaces puzzles tagged with concepts you've been missing, not random brawls.

If you want the underlying methodology, the how-it-works page walks through the SAE training run, the labelling pipeline, and the puzzle-tagging procedure end-to-end.

Frequently asked

What is the rating of this puzzle?

2549 Lichess ELO. Solvers below that rating typically miss the key cue.

Which side moves first?

Black to move; the first move of the solution is d8e8.

What concepts does it train?

10 SAE-derived patterns including King actively centralised in a late endgame (pawn or minor…; This feature detects squares that are attacked by White…; Active king in a king-and-pawn endgame, often on the….

Can I attempt it without an account?

Yes — Climbchess requires no signup or email. Click the trainer link to play the position interactively.