Chess Puzzle #129Us — Beginner, White to move, middlegame

Position

White: king g1; queen g4; rooks b1/e1; knights d2/f5; pawns e3/f2/g3/h2. Black: king g8; queen d6; rooks a8/f8; bishop c7; knight b8; pawns a7/b6/c5/d5/f7/g7/h7. Black is ahead by 3 points of material. White to move.

Solution (2 moves)

1. Opponent setup: Qg6 — queen d6→g6. Now White to move.
2. Best move: Ne7+ — knight f5→e7, gives check. Opponent replies Kh8 (king g8→h8).
3. Best move: Nxg6+ — knight e7→g6, captures queen, gives check.

Tactical themes

advantage, fork, middlegame, short. The key move Nxg6+ captures with check, forcing a response.

Position data

FEN: rn3rk1/p1b2ppp/1p1q4/2pp1N2/6Q1/4P1P1/3N1P1P/1R2R1K1 b - - 1 19

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