Puzzle zzmxk — ELO 1230
This is a Black-to-move puzzle rated 1230 ELO. The first move is h7h6, tagged with 10 interpretable concepts and Lichess themes: exposedKing, long, mate.
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Position
Black to move. ELO 1230. Themes: exposedKing, long, mate, mateIn3, middlegame, morphysMate.
FEN: r1b2b1r/ppp1kB1p/2n2n2/4p1N1/5p2/1P6/P1P3PP/RNBR2K1 b - - 0 12
Show solution (6 ply)
Try to find the move yourself first — look for the rarest concept firing on this position before peeking. Solution sequence: h7h6 c1a3 c6b4 a3b4 c7c5 b4c5
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 Detects an undeveloped or passively placed black bishop defended by own pieces…, which appears in only 213 of our 9,950 puzzles (2.14%). 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 1230 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?
1230 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 h7h6.
What concepts does it train?
10 SAE-derived patterns including An uncastled rook on the back rank that retains castling…; Detects a piece (king, knight, or bishop) on a corner…; White rook on the back rank exposed to a pin or deflection….
Can I attempt it without an account?
Yes — Climbchess requires no signup or email. Click the trainer link to play the position interactively.