Chess Puzzle #1FYY3 — Beginner, Black to move, middlegame

Rating 440 · Beginner · back rank mate, endgame, mate, mate in 2, short.

Position

White: king g1; queen c5; rook d1; pawns a4/c4/e3/f2/g2/h2. Black: king h8; queen f6; rooks d5/f8; pawns a7/b7/e4/f5/g5/h4. Black is ahead by 5 points of material. Black to move.

Solution (2 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: Rxd5 — rook d1→d5, captures rook. Now Black to move.
  2. Best move: Qa1+ — queen f6→a1, gives check. Opponent replies Rd1 (rook d5→d1).
  3. Best move: Qxd1# — queen a1→d1, captures rook, delivers checkmate.

Tactical themes

back rank mate, endgame, mate, mate in 2, short. The combination ends with Qxd1# delivering checkmate.

Position data

FEN: 5r1k/pp6/5q2/2Qr1pp1/P1P1p2p/4P3/5PPP/3R2K1 w - - 0 25

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