Chess Puzzle #1L1P1 — Beginner, White to move, middlegame

Rating 993 · Beginner · mate, mate in 1, middlegame, one move, smothered mate.

Position

White: king g1; queen g8; rooks a1/e1; knight h6; pawns a2/c2/d3/f2/g2/h3. Black: king h8; queen c3; rooks a8/f8; knight d4; pawns a7/b7/c7/g7/h7. White is ahead by 1 point of material. White to move.

Solution (1 move)

  1. Opponent setup: Rxg8 — rook f8→g8, captures queen. Now White to move.
  2. Best move: Nf7# — knight h6→f7, delivers checkmate.

Tactical themes

mate, mate in 1, middlegame, one move, smothered mate. The combination ends with Nf7# delivering checkmate.

Position data

FEN: r4rQk/ppp3pp/7N/8/3n4/2qP3P/P1P2PP1/R3R1K1 b - - 8 20

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