Chess Puzzle #06nNG — Beginner, Black to move, middlegame

Rating 923 · Beginner · advantage, fork, middlegame, short.

Position

White: king c1; queen d2; rooks d1/h1; bishop b3; knight d5; pawns a2/b2/c2/e4/f3/g2/h2. Black: king g8; queen f8; rook a8; bishop c8; knights d4/e8; pawns a7/b7/d7/e5/f7/g6/h7. White is ahead by 2 points of material. Black to move.

Solution (2 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: Qc3 — queen d2→c3. Now Black to move.
  2. Best move: Ne2+ — knight d4→e2, gives check. Opponent replies Kb1 (king c1→b1).
  3. Best move: Nxc3+ — knight e2→c3, captures queen, gives check.

Tactical themes

advantage, fork, middlegame, short. The key move Nxc3+ captures with check, forcing a response.

Position data

FEN: r1b1nqk1/pp1p1p1p/6p1/3Np3/3nP3/1B3P2/PPPQ2PP/2KR3R w - - 4 17

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.