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

Rating 914 · Beginner · mate, mate in 2, middlegame, short.

Position

White: king g1; queen g3; rooks c1/f1; bishop f6; pawns a3/b4/f2/f7/g2. Black: king g8; queen b8; rooks a8/f8; bishop c8; knight d3; pawns a6/b5/c4/e6. Black is ahead by 2 points of material. White to move.

Solution (2 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: Kxf7 — king g8→f7, captures pawn. Now White to move.
  2. Best move: Qg7+ — queen g3→g7, gives check. Opponent replies Ke8 (king f7→e8).
  3. Best move: Qe7# — queen g7→e7, delivers checkmate.

Tactical themes

mate, mate in 2, middlegame, short. The combination ends with Qe7# delivering checkmate.

Position data

FEN: rqb2rk1/5P2/p3pB2/1p6/1Pp5/P2n2Q1/5PP1/2R2RK1 b - - 0 30

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.