Chess Puzzle #03r1E — Beginner, Black to move, middlegame

Rating 1010 · Beginner · advantage, fork, middlegame, short.

Position

White: king e1; queen d1; rooks a1/h1; bishop f1; knight f3; pawns a2/b2/c2/e3/f2/g2/h3. Black: king e8; queen e7; rooks a8/h8; bishop f8; knight c6; pawns a7/b7/c7/e5/f7/h6/h7. Material is balanced. Black to move.

Solution (2 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: Bb5 — bishop f1→b5. Now Black to move.
  2. Best move: Qb4+ — queen e7→b4, gives check. Opponent replies Nd2 (knight f3→d2).
  3. Best move: Qxb5 — queen b4→b5, captures bishop.

Tactical themes

advantage, fork, middlegame, short. The key move is Qb4+.

Position data

FEN: r3kb1r/ppp1qp1p/2n4p/4p3/8/4PN1P/PPP2PP1/R2QKB1R w KQkq - 0 10

Solve this puzzle interactively on Brilliant Knight — free tactics training powered by Stockfish 18, no signup required.

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