Chess Puzzle #1P7kn — Intermediate, White to move, middlegame

Rating 1348 · Intermediate · advantage, defensive move, master, middlegame, short.

Position

White: king f1; queen g3; rook c1; bishop g1; knight c3; pawns a3/b2/f3/g5. Black: king f7; queen e6; rook h4; bishop e7; knight e5; pawns a7/b7/c6/f5. Material is balanced. White to move.

Solution (2 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: Qc4+ — queen e6→c4, gives check. Now White to move.
  2. Best move: Ne2 — knight c3→e2. Opponent replies Qd5 (queen c4→d5).
  3. Best move: Qxh4 — queen g3→h4, captures rook.

Tactical themes

advantage, defensive move, master, middlegame, short. The key move is Ne2.

Position data

FEN: 8/pp2bk2/2p1q3/4npP1/7r/P1N2PQ1/1P6/2R2KB1 b - - 1 28

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