Chess Puzzle #18U10 — Beginner, White to move, middlegame

Rating 841 · Beginner · crushing, discovered attack, endgame, fork, short.

Position

White: king h2; rook e3; knight f4; pawns c3/f2/g3/h4. Black: king f8; queen c5; pawns a7/b7/c7/h7. Black is ahead by 1 point of material. White to move.

Solution (2 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: a5 — pawn a7→a5. Now White to move.
  2. Best move: Ne6+ — knight f4→e6, gives check. Opponent replies Ke7 (king f8→e7).
  3. Best move: Nxc5+ — knight e6→c5, captures queen, gives check.

Tactical themes

crushing, discovered attack, endgame, fork, short. The key move Nxc5+ captures with check, forcing a response.

Position data

FEN: 5k2/ppp4p/8/2q5/5N1P/2P1R1P1/5P1K/8 b - - 2 38

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