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

Rating 925 · Beginner · advantage, fork, middlegame, short.

Position

White: king e1; queen d2; rooks a1/h1; knights c3/g1; pawns a2/b2/d5/e4/h5. Black: king g7; queen d8; rooks a8/f8; bishop e2; knights b8/e5; pawns a7/b7/c5/d6/f7. Black is ahead by 3 points of material. Black to move.

Solution (2 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: Ngxe2 — knight g1→e2, captures bishop. Now Black to move.
  2. Best move: Nf3+ — knight e5→f3, gives check. Opponent replies Kd1 (king e1→d1).
  3. Best move: Nxd2 — knight f3→d2, captures queen.

Tactical themes

advantage, fork, middlegame, short. The key move is Nf3+.

Position data

FEN: rn1q1r2/pp3pk1/3p4/2pPn2P/4P3/2N5/PP1Qb3/R3K1NR w KQ - 0 17

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