Daily Puzzle Analysis 4/14/2025

Here is my analysis for today's daily puzzle!

Key Tactics: Fork, Back-Rank Mate (failed sideline)

At the start of the puzzle:

- White is up a pawn.

- Each side has a rook, bishop, and pawns in this endgame.

- White's extra pawn is a passed pawn on a5, but it is hanging.

- White is threatening to capture Black's f7-pawn with the rook or the bishop.

- Black's rook can jump to White's back rank, and White's only escape square is on g2, which is on the h1-a8 diagonal.

- White's b7-rook is loose, and it is also on the h1-a8 diagonal.

This suggests that the puzzle may either be about somehow checkmating White's king, or winning the loose rook on b7.

First, what if we take away the g2-square from White's king, so Rc1 would be checkmate? Two similar options are 1. ... h3 and 1. ... Bh3. However, White can defend by moving the f-pawn, giving White an escape square on f2, and White can successfully defend this.

Another move looks even stronger: 1. ... Be4. This move not only takes away the g2-square from White's king but also attacks White's rook on b7. This seems to simply win a rook, but White has the saving resource 2. Rxf7+ Kh6 3. f3, blocking off the long diagonal, attacking Black's bishop, and giving White plenty of room to escape.

What if we switch the move order and play 1. ... Rc1+ first? Then, White is forced to play 2. Kg2. Now, we can notice that White's king and rook are both on the h1-a8 diagonal, and Black's bishop conveniently can fork them with 2. ... Be4+. White must get out of check (with 3. Kh3 in the puzzle), and Black wins White's rook with 3. ... Bxb7. And the puzzle is solved!

Nice puzzle, chess.com!

I hope this helps, and have a nice Monday!