Chess Puzzle #1L4JG — Beginner, Black to move, middlegame

Rating 816 · Beginner · advantage, fork, middlegame, short.

Position

White: king g1; queen c2; rooks a1/f1; bishop b2; knight f3; pawns a3/c4/d5/e4/f2/g2/h2. Black: king g8; queen d8; rooks a8/e8; bishop f6; knight f4; pawns a7/b7/c7/e5/f7/g7/h7. Material is balanced. Black to move.

Solution (2 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: Qc1 — queen c2→c1. Now Black to move.
  2. Best move: Ne2+ — knight f4→e2, gives check. Opponent replies Kh1 (king g1→h1).
  3. Best move: Nxc1 — knight e2→c1, captures queen.

Tactical themes

advantage, fork, middlegame, short. The key move is Ne2+.

Position data

FEN: r2qr1k1/ppp2ppp/5b2/3Pp3/2P1Pn2/P4N2/1BQ2PPP/R4RK1 w - - 5 18

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.