Puzzle zyjKX — ELO 690

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

This is a White-to-move puzzle rated 690 ELO. The first move is f1b5, tagged with 10 interpretable concepts and Lichess themes: backRankMate, mate, mateIn2.

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Position

White to move. ELO 690. Themes: backRankMate, mate, mateIn2, middlegame, short.

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FEN: r1b1r1k1/pp3p1p/2n2p2/2P5/8/8/PPPR1PPP/1K3BNR w - - 1 14

Show solution (4 ply)

Try to find the move yourself first — look for the rarest concept firing on this position before peeking. Solution sequence: f1b5 e8e1 d2d1 e1d1

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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 A black rook on or near the back rank that is loosely placed, often in…, which appears in only 38 of our 9,950 puzzles (0.38%). 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 690 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?

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

Which side moves first?

White to move; the first move of the solution is f1b5.

What concepts does it train?

10 SAE-derived patterns including A black rook on or near the back rank that is loosely…; A well-supported white knight on an outpost square that is…; A black minor piece (bishop or knight) on the 6th or 7th….

Can I attempt it without an account?

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