Chess Puzzle #0pN5C — Beginner, Black to move, middlegame

Rating 948 · Beginner · advantage, fork, middlegame, short.

Position

White: king g1; queen c2; rooks a1/b1; bishops d2/g2; pawns a5/d3/e4/f2/g3/h3. Black: king h8; queen a6; rook c8; bishop a7; knights d4/d7; pawns b7/c6/e5/f7/g7/h7. White is ahead by 2 points of material. Black to move.

Solution (2 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: Qc3 — queen c2→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: 2r4k/bp1n1ppp/q1p5/P3p3/3nP3/3P2PP/2QB1PB1/RR4K1 w - - 0 24

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