Chess Puzzle #1TQ19 — Beginner, Black to move, middlegame

Rating 843 · Beginner · advantage, endgame, short.

Position

White: king g1; queen f3; rook h8; bishop g3; pawns c4/f2/g2/h2. Black: king h5; queen g6; rook a5; knight c2; pawns b7/g4/h6. White is ahead by 1 point of material. Black to move.

Solution (2 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: Qc3 — queen f3→c3. Now Black to move.
  2. Best move: Ra1+ — rook a5→a1, gives check. Opponent replies Qxa1 (queen c3→a1, captures rook).
  3. Best move: Nxa1 — knight c2→a1, captures queen.

Tactical themes

advantage, endgame, short. The key move is Ra1+.

Position data

FEN: 7R/1p6/6qp/r6k/2P3p1/5QB1/2n2PPP/6K1 w - - 0 35

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.