Chess Puzzle #0cplT — Beginner, White to move, middlegame

Rating 1110 · Beginner · fork, mate, mate in 2, middlegame, short.

Position

White: king g1; queen h6; rooks a1/f1; knights g5/h5; pawns a3/b2/c4/d3/e4/f2/g2/h3. Black: king g8; queen c8; rooks b8/e8; bishops d7/d8; knight f6; pawns a5/c5/c6/d6/e5/f7. Black is ahead by 1 point of material. White to move.

Solution (2 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: Nxh5 — knight f6→h5, captures knight. Now White to move.
  2. Best move: Qh7+ — queen h6→h7, gives check. Opponent replies Kf8 (king g8→f8).
  3. Best move: Qxf7# — queen h7→f7, captures pawn, delivers checkmate.

Tactical themes

fork, mate, mate in 2, middlegame, short. The combination ends with Qxf7# delivering checkmate.

Position data

FEN: 1rqbr1k1/3b1p2/2pp1n1Q/p1p1p1NN/2P1P3/P2P3P/1P3PP1/R4RK1 b - - 4 21

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