Puzzle zzJ3V — ELO 2348

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

This is a Black-to-move puzzle rated 2348 ELO. The first move is d5c5, tagged with 10 interpretable concepts and Lichess themes: crushing, endgame, pawnEndgame.

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Position

Black to move. ELO 2348. Themes: crushing, endgame, pawnEndgame, quietMove, veryLong, zugzwang.

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FEN: 8/8/8/pp1k2pp/3p4/PP1K1PPP/8/8 b - - 0 44

Show solution (10 ply)

Try to find the move yourself first — look for the rarest concept firing on this position before peeking. Solution sequence: d5c5 h3h4 g5h4 g3h4 c5d5 f3f4 d5c5 f4f5 c5d5 f5f6

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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 pawn tension square in the centre or endgame, contested by opposing pieces…, which appears in only 32 of our 9,950 puzzles (0.32%). 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 2348 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?

2348 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 d5c5.

What concepts does it train?

10 SAE-derived patterns including Detects kings in near-opposition or close proximity in…; King in an endgame position with no immediate threats…; 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.