Chess Puzzle #14QQh — Beginner, White to move, opening

Position

White: king g1; queen d2; rooks d1/f1; bishops e2/g3; knights d5/h4; pawns a2/b4/c4/e3/f2/g2/h2. Black: king e8; queen c7; rooks a8/h8; bishops b7/e7; knights d7/e4; pawns a6/b6/d6/e5/f7/g7/h6. Material is balanced. White to move.

Solution (2 moves)

1. Opponent setup: Bxd5 — bishop b7→d5, captures knight. Now White to move.
2. Best move: Qxd5 — queen d2→d5, captures bishop. Opponent replies Nc3 (knight e4→c3).
3. Best move: Qxa8+ — queen d5→a8, captures rook, gives check.

Tactical themes

advantage, fork, middlegame, short. The key move Qxa8+ captures with check, forcing a response.

Position data

FEN: r3k2r/1bqnbpp1/pp1p3p/3Np3/1PP1n2N/4P1B1/P2QBPPP/3R1RK1 b kq - 3 17

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