Chess Puzzle #0pwjJ — Intermediate, White to move, middlegame

Rating 1298 · Intermediate · crushing, fork, middlegame, short.

Position

White: king e1; queen b7; rooks a1/g1; bishops g2/g5; knight g4; pawns a2/b2/c4/d3/e4/f2/h3. Black: king h7; queen e6; rooks a8/f8; bishops d6/h5; knights c6/f6; pawns a7/c5/d4/e5. Material is balanced. White to move.

Solution (2 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: Qd7 — queen e6→d7. Now White to move.
  2. Best move: Nxf6+ — knight g4→f6, captures knight, gives check. Opponent replies Rxf6 (rook f8→f6, captures knight).
  3. Best move: Qxd7+ — queen b7→d7, captures queen, gives check.

Tactical themes

crushing, fork, middlegame, short. The key move Nxf6+ captures with check, forcing a response.

Position data

FEN: r4r2/pQ5k/2nbqn2/2p1p1Bb/2PpP1N1/3P3P/PP3PB1/R3K1R1 b Q - 0 20

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