Chess Puzzle #01hdS — Beginner, White to move, middlegame

Rating 1038 · Beginner · advantage, endgame, fork, short.

Position

White: king e1; rooks a1/h1; knight d5; pawns a2/b2/c2/f2/g2/h2. Black: king f5; rooks c8/h8; bishop f8; pawns a7/b7/e5/f7/g7/h7. Material is balanced. White to move.

Solution (2 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: Rxc2 — rook c8→c2, captures pawn. Now White to move.
  2. Best move: Ne3+ — knight d5→e3, gives check. Opponent replies Ke6 (king f5→e6).
  3. Best move: Nxc2 — knight e3→c2, captures rook.

Tactical themes

advantage, endgame, fork, short. The key move is Ne3+.

Position data

FEN: 2r2b1r/pp3ppp/8/3Npk2/8/8/PPP2PPP/R3K2R b KQ - 2 15

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Puzzle data from the Lichess puzzle database (CC0). Analysis powered by Stockfish 18 in your browser.