Read on to learn about the new skills and levels, and see examples of the new content.

Choose between Tactics, Endgame, and mixed workouts

Some of the endgame training positions in the "Endgame" course take a lot of time to solve. For example, some of the positions where you have to draw with a pawn against a queen require you to defend until a draw by the 50 moves rule is reached. Checkmating with a bishop and knight also takes many moves. These endgame training positions can feel a bit out of place when you are trying to focus on tactics.

Therefore, if your workout includes endgame training, you can now choose between tactics, endgame, and mixed workouts.

Tactics: Unpinning

In the "Tactics" course, there is a new skill: Unpinning. Usually it is advantageous to pin your opponent's pieces. A pin can win material or restrict the mobility of the pinned piece. However, sometimes you can use your opponent's pin to your advantage by moving with the pinned piece!

White can move the knight out of the pin with check: 1.Ng5+! The move discovers an attack by the white queen on Black’s queen. Now if 1...Nxg5 (or 1...hxg5) then 2.Qxg4, and if 1...Qxg5 then 2.Bxg5 Nxg5 and White has a winning material advantage of a queen for two knights.

Combinations: Capture defender of skewer

In the "Combinations" course, there is a new skill "Capture defender of skewer". This is a combination where you capture a piece that defends a square where a skewer can be played.

White can temporarily sacrifice the exchange to capture the defender of the skewer: 1.Rxc6+! bxc6 2.Bd8+ Ke5 3.Bxh4.

Checkmate Patterns: Discovered checkmate, level 4

In the "Checkmate Patterns" course, there is a new level 4 in "Discovered checkmate". Here is a typical example:

White can force discovered checkmate with 1.Qxa7+!! Kxa7 2.Ra4+ Kb7 3.Ba6+ Ka8 4.Bc8#

Here is another fantastic example:

White won with the wonderful 1.Qxh7+!! Kxh7 2.g6+ Kh8 3.Rg5!! and Black resigned because of the discovered checkmate 3...fxg5 4.hxg5#

Checkmate Combinations: Clearance to guard escape square

In the "Checkmate Combinations" course, there is a new skill: Clearance to guard escape square. This is similar to a discovered checkmate, but the roles are reversed: You move one piece, and that move clears the way for another piece to guard an escape square.

In the first level the puzzles are checkmate in one move. Let's look at an example:

White can checkmate with 1.Be5#. The bishop gives check and clears the way for the rook to guard the escape squares on the b-file.

Defence: Defend piece and avoid attacking pinned piece

In the "Defence" course, there is a new skill where you have to defend an attacked piece, and avoid losing a pinned piece to an attack. Here is an example:

Black should defend the attacked knight with 1...f6, breaking the pin, and avoid 1...Kf6? 2.f4, which would lose the pinned knight.

Attacking: Attacking the castled king, level 3

In the "Attacking" course, there is a new level 3 for the "Attacking the castled king" skill. This level includes forced checkmates, but also attacks against the king that win material. Here is a famous example:

Kramnik played 1...Qxe3!, winning a rook because of 2.fxe3 Ng3+! 3.hxg3 Rh5# Checkmate is not forced - the game continued 2.Nd6, attacking f7, but Kramnik played the counter-attack 2...Re7!, defending f7 and keeping the material advantage.

Experience Puzzle Academy

Want to take your tactics to the next level? Puzzle Academy, the most comprehensive tactics course, personalizes your learning experience based on your unique strengths and weaknesses. With new skills and levels now available, there's no better time to Join Premium.
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The Journey Continues

Work continues on the ChessPuzzle.net algorithm version 3, and additional Puzzle Academy levels are already underway, so stay tuned for exciting new updates. Your feedback is very valuable — it helps to build a better site for all chess enthusiasts. If you have any questions, suggestions, or just want to share your experience, please reach out to me.