Chess Puzzle #0oZ3n — Beginner, Black to move, middlegame

Rating 900 · Beginner · advantage, fork, middlegame, short.

Position

White: king e1; queen d1; rooks a1/h1; bishops c1/f3; pawns a2/b2/d4/e5/f2/g2/h2. Black: king e8; queen d8; rooks a8/h8; bishop f8; knight b8; pawns a6/b7/d5/d6/f7/g7/h7. Material is balanced. Black to move.

Solution (2 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: Bxd5 — bishop f3→d5, captures pawn. Now Black to move.
  2. Best move: Qa5+ — queen d8→a5, gives check. Opponent replies Bd2 (bishop c1→d2).
  3. Best move: Qxd5 — queen a5→d5, captures bishop.

Tactical themes

advantage, fork, middlegame, short. The key move is Qa5+.

Position data

FEN: rn1qkb1r/1p3ppp/p2p4/3pP3/3P4/5B2/PP3PPP/R1BQK2R w KQkq - 0 11

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