Language update

We're committed to making ChessPuzzle.net a platform for everyone, no matter where you're from or which language you speak. That's why we've updated the translations of the website, ensuring all our latest features, including Puzzle Inception and Checkmate Armageddon, are available in all supported languages.

We've also added three new languages: Italian, Norwegian, and Hebrew. This brings the total number of languages available on ChessPuzzle.net to 20!

Here's a screenshot of our language drop-down list, featuring each language in its native form, from Arabic to Turkish. You can select your preferred language in the settings dialog. To find out more about adjusting your settings, take a look at our blog post "All settings explained".

Translated puzzle annotations

The solutions on ChessPuzzle.net include automated annotations, explaining the tactical motifs and patterns occuring in the puzzle's solution with text and graphics.

Previously the textual annotations were only available in English and German. Now, these textual annotations are available in additional languages: Spanish and Russian translations are completed and approved by the testers.

Here is an example of a typical smothered mate combination, showing the graphical and textual annotations for the various tactical motifs, and the checkmate pattern. Also shown are the explanations of the terms that are shown as a tooltip when you move the mouse over the name of the term. You can view this in English, Spanish and Russian language:

English

Spanish

Russian

Arabic, Finnish, Dutch, Italian, Japanese, Polish, and Portuguese annotations are available and are currently being reviewed.

We would like to give a special thanks to our translators for their help in bringing ChessPuzzle.net to even more people around the world. If you'd like to help with the review, here is a list of puzzles that have many different annotation texts: Annotation test puzzle list.

You can play through these puzzles. After each puzzle, press the "Solution" button to view the solution. Be sure to select your language in the settings. If you find any errors, you can contact me.

Additional translations for the textual annotations are planned. We're constantly looking to improve and expand our services. In the future, we hope to also provide Puzzle Academy in different languages.

Premium Boards

We're excited to introduce additional chess board designs exclusively available for our Premium users. These elegant wooden chess boards, made from select wood types, are set to enhance your gaming experience with their distinct colours and straight grains. The available options include Ebony, Maplewood, and Walnut:

Ebony wood – Prized for its deep black color and smooth texture, this high-end choice lends a luxurious and refined appearance to your chess board.

Maplewood – Famous for its light color and fine grain, Maplewood offers a clean and elegant look that is a popular choice for chess boards.

Walnut wood – Known for its rich, dark brown color and attractive grain patterns, a Walnut wood chess board radiates a classic and sophisticated vibe.

If you're a Premium user, you can select these premium boards in the settings dialog. Experience the elegance and charm of these boards in your puzzle sessions.

Updated player pages

Chess is more than a game; it's a world filled with stories, personalities, and moments of brilliance.
Many of the puzzles on ChessPuzzle.net are based on games played by famous players. Our updated player pages provide background information about these chess masters, both from the past and present.

When you see a player's name in blue above a puzzle or its solution, you can click on it to learn more about the player. Knowing more about these famous players can deepen your appreciation of the rich history and celebrated personalities of chess.

Each player page features a portrait, a brief profile, and a link to Wikipedia for further information. With this update, we've also included a list of tournaments each player has won. If you click on a tournament name, you will see a list of all players who won that tournament. This allows you to explore the rich legacy of these chess tournaments, from world championships to super tournaments like Wijk aan Zee, and learn about the grandmasters who have made their mark on them.

The highlight of our player pages is the list of chess puzzles featuring these players. The "Daily Puzzles" are handpicked for their originality and tactical beauty, often featuring moves made by these famous players. Some players also have a list of "Best Puzzles", comprising their most impressive tactics that led to victory. Finally, there's a comprehensive list of all puzzles featuring each player, with the latest additions at the top.

New Puzzle Academy Content

This update also includes two new skills and six new levels for Puzzle Academy. Here are examples for each new level:

Tactics: Intermediate check to avoid checkmate, level 2

This skill is very popular as it demands both defensive and offensive acumen - not only do you need to spot and prevent your opponent's checkmate threat, but you also need to seize the opportunity to win a piece. Level 2 ramps up the challenge by including puzzles that require three moves to avoid a checkmate-in-one and puzzles necessitating two moves to dodge a checkmate-in-two.

Here 1.Rxa5? would allow 1...Rf1#.
But White can win with the intermediate check 1.Qxh7+! Kg4 2.Qxh3+ Kxh3 and only now 3.Rxa5.

Taking the queen immediately with 1...Rxe2? would allow a back-rank checkmate in two moves: 2.Rd8+ Re8 3.Rxe8#.
However, Black can win with the clever intermediate check 1...Ng3!
Now if the king moves, Black can take the queen with the knight, keeping the back-rank protected by the rook.
And if 2.Rxg3, the rook is deflected and can no longer reach the back-rank, therefore Black can now safely take the queen with 2...Rxe2 and win the game.

Combinations: Clearance for promotion, level 3

Clearance to promote a pawn is a common motif in endgames, and often, it involves a sacrifice to promote your pawn with tempo. Level 3 raises the stakes with puzzles that need four moves to solve. A significant number of these puzzles involve a sacrifice followed by a tactic with your new queen. This level provides excellent practice for your endgame tactics and technique.

White is a bishop down, but has a dangerous passed pawn on a7.
A "normal" clearance with 1.Rb8? gets the pawn promoted, but after 1...Ra6 2.a8=Q Rxa8 3.Rxa8, Black has two pawns for the exchange, and the game is going to end in a draw.
However, the clearance sacrifice 1.Rf8+!! Kxf8 2.a8=Q+ gets the pawn promoted with tempo. The Black king can escape from the check only by going to the seventh rank, when White always has a fork with the new queen, for example 2...Ke7 3.Qa7+ Kf6 4.Qxb6 and White picks up the rook and wins the game.

Checkmate patterns: Fool's mate, level 3

This new level includes Fool's mate in three moves. Included is a very common tactic, where you sacrifice a queen or bishop to exploit a typical opening blunder: Weakening the e8-h5 (or e1-h4) diagonal.

Black has neglected all opening principles and hasn't developed. On top of that, the e8-h5 diagonal was weakened by moving the f-pawn.
White can now deliver Fool's mate with 1.Qh5+ g6 2.Bxg6+ hxg6 3.Qxg6#.
Alternatively, White could also sacrifice the queen with 2.Qxg6+ hxg6 3.Bxg6# to the same effect.

Black can win with the beautiful queen sacrifice 1...Qxg2+!! White is forced to recapture with 2.Rxg2, but now the rook is deflected from the back-rank. Black plays 2...Rf1+, forcing 3.Rg1, thereby deflecting the poor rook again, this time from the e4-h1 diagonal, allowing Fool's mate with 3...Be4#

Defence: Defend piece and avoid deflection, level 1

This is a new defensive skill, with the first level. One of your pieces is attacked, and you must defend it. The challenge is that one of the apparent defending moves allows your opponent a deflection tactic. This skill requires you to see a direct threat (your piece is under attack), as well as a potential tactics of your opponent after your move - therefore it is very good training for your defensive and visualization skills.

Attacking: Attacking the castled king, level 1 and 2

The attacking course focuses on mounting assaults on your opponent's king, which could lead to checkmate or material gain if the opponent has to lose material to prevent checkmate. This new skill includes situation where you opponent has castled short, and the castling position is without weaknesses. The first two levels of this skill include puzzles that require one and two moves to solve.

White has castled short, and the castling position has no weaknesses. However, Black can win material, because the knight on f3 is overloaded: 1...Rxd4! wins the bishop, because if the knight recaptures with 2.Nxd4, it is deflected from protecting h2, and 2...Qxh2# is checkmate.

Magnus Carlsen won with the double attack 1...Qe5!, threatening checkmate on h2, and the unprotected knight on c3.

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.
Discover more about Puzzle Academy on our landing page.

The Journey Continues

We're committed to continuously improving ChessPuzzle.net. Work on additional endgames and levels is already underway, so stay tuned for exciting new updates. We cherish your feedback—it helps us build a better platform for all chess enthusiasts. If you have any questions, suggestions, or just want to share your experience, please reach out to me.