Chess Puzzle #17GFz — Beginner, White to move, opening

Position

White: king g1; queen f5; rooks a1/f1; bishop c1; knights b1/g5; pawns a2/b2/c3/d4/e5/g2/h2. Black: king e8; queen d8; rooks a8/h8; bishop e7; knights c6/d7; pawns a7/b6/c5/d5/f7/g7/h7. Material is balanced. White to move.

Solution (1 move)

1. Opponent setup: O-O — king e8→g8. Now White to move.
2. Best move: Qxh7# — queen f5→h7, captures pawn, delivers checkmate.

Why this works

After Black's king moves to g8, the queen on h7 delivers immediate checkmate. The king on g8 has no escape squares: f8 is controlled by the queen on h7, h8 is occupied by Black's own rook, and g7 is also controlled by the queen. Black cannot block the check or capture the queen—no piece defends h7 or can interpose on the h-file. The knight on g5 has been supporting this attack the entire time, controlling f7 and preventing the king from fleeing there after the setup move. White's queen and knight work in concert to seal off every flight square.

What to practice

Recognize when your opponent's king has moved into a corner (here g8) with limited escape squares. A queen and knight on the kingside converging on the back rank create mating nets quickly if the king lacks defenders. Scan for forcing moves—checks especially—that exploit a king's restricted mobility. In the opening, such attacks often succeed because Black hasn't yet consolidated piece coordination.

Tactical themes

kingside attack, mate, mate in 1, one move, opening. The combination ends with Qxh7# delivering checkmate.

Position data

FEN: r2qk2r/p2nbppp/1pn5/2ppPQN1/3P4/2P5/PP4PP/RNB2RK1 b kq - 2 13

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