Today's Daily Puzzle 9/16/20: Loose Pieces Create Tactics

Among other important practices when solving puzzles (calculating checks/captures, finding threats, etc.), it's very important to identify all loose pieces in the position. In today's puzzle, it may be surprising to learn that the only reason this puzzle works today is because black's bishop on g4 is loose (that is, it's completely undefended)!

White's pieces are very well set-up: the queen and bishop command a very important diagonal pointing towards black's king and white's rook on the f-file will prove to be important in pinning black's knight. Lastly, notice how white's knight can leap into d5 whenever it wants and threaten black's queen. Perhaps there's a way to nudge black's king to e7 and create a fork?

But wait, what does any of this have to do with black's loose piece on g4?

Even if you don't see an immediate tactic with a loose piece, it may be that the end of a tactic works because you get to scoop up that loose piece at the end! How did you do on the puzzle today? Comment below!

Yesterday's Daily Puzzle

Yesterday's Daily Puzzle also had some themes of loose pieces. In this case, the idea is to remove the defender of white's queen so black's queen can take it for free. It turns out white can avoid this in the puzzle but still ends up down material.

Until next time!

Nick

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