Chess Puzzle #0CC9j — Beginner, Black to move, middlegame

Rating 903 · Beginner · advantage, fork, middlegame, short.

Position

White: king g1; queen f3; rooks a1/f1; bishop c7; knight d6; pawns a2/b2/c5/g2/h2. Black: king g8; queen g6; rooks a8/f8; knight d4; pawns a7/b7/e6/f7/g7/h7. White is ahead by 2 points of material. Black to move.

Solution (2 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: Qc3 — queen f3→c3. Now Black to move.
  2. Best move: Ne2+ — knight d4→e2, gives check. Opponent replies Kh1 (king g1→h1).
  3. Best move: Nxc3 — knight e2→c3, captures queen.

Tactical themes

advantage, fork, middlegame, short. The key move is Ne2+.

Position data

FEN: r4rk1/ppB2ppp/3Np1q1/2P5/3n4/5Q2/PP4PP/R4RK1 w - - 1 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.