Chess Puzzle #0u8qV — Intermediate, White to move, middlegame

Rating 1302 · Intermediate · advanced pawn, long, mate, mate in 3, middlegame, promotion.

Position

White: king d1; queen h5; rook g2; bishop d5; pawns a4/b2/e3/f2/f7. Black: king h8; queen f6; rooks c2/f8; knight a1; pawns a6/b5/g7/h6. Black is ahead by 4 points of material. White to move.

Solution (3 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: Qxb2 — queen f6→b2, captures pawn. Now White to move.
  2. Best move: Qxh6+ — queen h5→h6, captures pawn, gives check. Opponent replies gxh6 (pawn g7→h6, captures queen).
  3. Best move: Rg8+ — rook g2→g8, gives check. Opponent replies Rxg8 (rook f8→g8, captures rook).
  4. Best move: fxg8=Q# — pawn f7→g8, captures rook, promotes to queen, delivers checkmate.

Tactical themes

advanced pawn, long, mate, mate in 3, middlegame, promotion, sacrifice. The combination ends with fxg8=Q# delivering checkmate.

Position data

FEN: 5r1k/5Pp1/p4q1p/1p1B3Q/P7/4P3/1Pr2PR1/n2K4 b - - 1 26

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