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

Rating 858 · Beginner · mate, mate in 2, middlegame, short.

Position

White: king g1; queen d5; rooks b7/f1; pawns a2/d2/f2/g3/h2. Black: king g8; queen d8; rooks a8/e8; knight d7; pawns a7/f7/g7/h7. Black is ahead by 2 points of material. White to move.

Solution (2 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: Nf6 — knight d7→f6. Now White to move.
  2. Best move: Qxf7+ — queen d5→f7, captures pawn, gives check. Opponent replies Kh8 (king g8→h8).
  3. Best move: Qxg7# — queen f7→g7, captures pawn, delivers checkmate.

Tactical themes

mate, mate in 2, middlegame, short. The combination ends with Qxg7# delivering checkmate.

Position data

FEN: r2qr1k1/pR1n1ppp/8/3Q4/8/6P1/P2P1P1P/5RK1 b - - 0 21

Solve this puzzle interactively on Brilliant Knight — free tactics training powered by Stockfish 18, no signup required.

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