Daily Puzzle Analysis 4/25/2025

Here is my analysis for today's daily puzzle!

Key Tactics: Windmill, Discovered Check

At the start of the puzzle:

- White is up a queen and an exchange for a pawn.

- White is currently threatening Qxe7#.

- Black has a strong bishop pair and knight going against White's king. Black has a discovered check by moving the knight.

- White's g4-knight and h1-rook are hanging to Black's "discovered check" f2-knight.

So, the puzzle is probably about checkmate. Or if it isn't, then probably huge material gain.

First, there is 1. ... Nd3+, a double check, and hoping for 2. Kd1 Nb2#. However, White can simply play 2. Kf1 instead, and even though Black has another discovered check with the knight and light-squared bishop, White can defend. So, this line is a no-go.

Black doesn't really have any more checkmating options. However, there is a lot of material gain in sight. 1. ... Ne4+ wins White's queen with discovered check, 1. ... Nxh1+ wins White's rook, and 1. ... Nxg4+ wins White's knight. However, considering our huge material deficit, we need to choose carefully.

1. ... Ne4+ 2. Kd1 Nxg5 wins a queen, but this only brings the material down to near equal, with White having an exchange for a pawn. So, this is not the best option.

1. ... Nxh1+ 2. Kd1 and Black has won even less material. Black's knight also cannot return to f2 because White's knight defends the square.

So what if we take the knight first with 1. ... Nxg4+? Now, we can start a windmill after 2. Kd1 Nf2+ 3. Ke1, and we are in the starting position but without White's knight. This line is already stronger than the previous two lines with this in mind.

After this, we can try to pick up White's queen with 3. ... Ne4+, but then White can play 4. Qxg3 Nxg3 and again, White has the exchange for a pawn. So, this line is a no-go.

What if we now take the rook with 3. ... Nxh1+? This is again the best move. After 4. Kd1 Nf2+ 5. Ke1, we have continued our windmill, and now both White's knight and rook are gone. Now, we can play two discovered checks to win White's queen: 5. ... Nh3+ and 5. ... Ne4+. Which one should we play?

5. ... Nh3+ fails because it hangs the checking bishop to 6. Qxg3. however, 5. ... Ne4+ protects the bishop, so 6. Qxg3 Nxg3 and Black emerges up a minor piece and a pawn in a completely winning endgame. And the puzzle is solved!

Very nice puzzle, @JohanVA and @kehall41!

I hope this helps, and have a nice Friday!