Chess Puzzle #0XI6t — Expert, White to move, middlegame

Position

White: king h1; queen a8; rook f3; pawns c3/c4/d5/g2/h3. Black: king h8; queen g5; rook e2; knight d6; pawns c5/c7/h7. Black is ahead by 1 point of material. White to move.

Solution (3 moves)

1. Opponent setup: Kg7 — king h8→g7. Now White to move.
2. Best move: Qf8+ — queen a8→f8, gives check. Opponent replies Kg6 (king g7→g6).
3. Best move: Rg3 — rook f3→g3. Opponent replies Re1+ (rook e2→e1, gives check).
4. Best move: Kh2 — king h1→h2.

Tactical themes

advantage, endgame, long, pin. The key move is Qf8+.

Position data

FEN: Q6k/2p4p/3n4/2pP2q1/2P5/2P2R1P/4r1P1/7K b - - 2 34

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