Chess Puzzle #07ZsC — Intermediate, White to move, middlegame

Rating 1361 · Intermediate · advantage, fork, middlegame, short.

Position

White: king g1; queen b7; rooks d1/f1; pawns a2/b2/g2/h3. Black: king g8; queen g6; rook e8; bishop g7; knight e5; pawns a7/c5/h7. Material is balanced. White to move.

Solution (2 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: Nc4 — knight e5→c4. Now White to move.
  2. Best move: Qd5+ — queen b7→d5, gives check. Opponent replies Kh8 (king g8→h8).
  3. Best move: Qxc4 — queen d5→c4, captures knight.

Tactical themes

advantage, fork, middlegame, short. The key move is Qd5+.

Position data

FEN: 4r1k1/pQ4bp/6q1/2p1n3/8/7P/PP4P1/3R1RK1 b - - 0 28

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