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

Rating 1210 · Intermediate · crushing, middlegame, short.

Position

White: king g2; rooks d1/e4; bishop b3; knight f3; pawns a2/b2/c3/f2/g4/h4. Black: king e7; rooks h7/h8; bishops b7/c5; pawns a7/c6/e5/f6/g6/g7. Material is balanced. White to move.

Solution (2 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: Bb6 — bishop c5→b6. Now White to move.
  2. Best move: Nxe5 — knight f3→e5, captures pawn. Opponent replies fxe5 (pawn f6→e5, captures knight).
  3. Best move: Rxe5+ — rook e4→e5, captures pawn, gives check.

Tactical themes

crushing, middlegame, short. The key move Rxe5+ captures with check, forcing a response.

Position data

FEN: 7r/pb2k1pr/2p2pp1/2b1p3/4R1PP/1BP2N2/PP3PK1/3R4 b - - 0 23

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