Daily Puzzle Analysis 4/19/2025

Here is my analysis for today's daily puzzle!

Key Tactics: Queen Sacrifice, Deflection, Underpromotion

At the start of the puzzle:

- Black is up a rook and two pawns.

- Black's e-pawn is one square away from promoting.

- Black has a big attack on White's king with the queen, d4-rook, b-pawn, and knight.

- White also has a big attack on Black's king, with a queen-rook battery on the g-file, a bishop controlling g8, and a very strong g6-pawn.

These factors show that we should probably find a way to checkmate Black's king.

First, what if we try to get our queen onto the h-file? There is 1. Qxh5+, but that currently fails because Black's queen defends h5. We could try deflecting it away, but that is too slow and Black can play their attack (and there aren't even any moves that work to deflect the queen anyways).

But, what if we move to the other square with 1. Qh6+? This move sacrifices the queen for the g-pawn, and because Black's king has nowhere to move, Black is forced to capture with 1. ... gxh6. However, now that the pawn is deflected away from g7, White's g6-pawn can push forward with 2. g7+, forking Black's king and rook. Black's king is then forced to play 2. ... Kh7.

Now, we have reached the second critical point of the puzzle. White's pawn can promote either on g8 or f8, and the pawn can promote to both queens and knights.

If White promotes on the g8-square, such as with 3. g8=Q, after 3. ... Rxg8 4. Bxg8+ Kh8, White has nothing to continue, and Black will win.

If White plays 3. gxf8=Q, because it isn't a check, Black gets the opportunity for counterplay that will ultimately bring the game to a draw, after 3. ... Qxb3+.

So, we want to keep the initiative, preferably with checks. And, checking on g8 with promotion won't work. However, there is still one option: 3. gxf8=N! This is underpromotion, and it works in this case because it puts Black's king in check. And, after 3. ... Kh8, White can deliver checkmate with 4. Rg8#. And the puzzle has been solved!

Great puzzle, @tagir!

I hope this helps, and have a nice Saturday!