Chess Puzzle #0nR7o — Beginner, White to move, opening

Rating 847 · Beginner · mate, mate in 2, opening, short.

Position

White: king g1; queen d3; rooks a1/f1; bishops c1/c4; knights b1/g6; pawns a2/b2/c2/f2/g2/h2. Black: king h8; queen e7; rooks a8/f8; bishops c5/c8; knight e4; pawns a7/b7/c7/d7/f5/g7/h7. White is ahead by 2 points of material. White to move.

Solution (2 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: hxg6 — pawn h7→g6, captures knight. Now White to move.
  2. Best move: Qh3+ — queen d3→h3, gives check. Opponent replies Qh4 (queen e7→h4).
  3. Best move: Qxh4# — queen h3→h4, captures queen, delivers checkmate.

Tactical themes

mate, mate in 2, opening, short. The combination ends with Qxh4# delivering checkmate.

Position data

FEN: r1b2r1k/ppppq1pp/6N1/2b2p2/2B1n3/3Q4/PPP2PPP/RNB2RK1 b - - 1 11

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