Chess Puzzle #1IXD4 — Beginner, White to move, middlegame

Rating 791 · Beginner · kingside attack, mate, mate in 2, middlegame, short.

Position

White: king h1; queen c2; rook f1; bishop d3; pawns a2/b2/c4/d5/g2/h2. Black: king g8; queen e3; rook a8; bishop c8; knight b8; pawns a7/b7/c5/d6/g7/h7. Black is ahead by 3 points of material. White to move.

Solution (2 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: h6 — pawn h7→h6. Now White to move.
  2. Best move: Bh7+ — bishop d3→h7, gives check. Opponent replies Kh8 (king g8→h8).
  3. Best move: Rf8# — rook f1→f8, delivers checkmate.

Tactical themes

kingside attack, mate, mate in 2, middlegame, short. The combination ends with Rf8# delivering checkmate.

Position data

FEN: rnb3k1/pp4pp/3p4/2pP4/2P5/3Bq3/PPQ3PP/5R1K b - - 0 17

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