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

Rating 1117 · Beginner · crushing, endgame, fork, short.

Position

White: king c2; queen b5; bishop b3; pawns b6/c3/d2/e4/g2. Black: king g7; queen f2; rook b8; pawns c5/e7/g6/h5. Black is ahead by 1 point of material. White to move.

Solution (2 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: c4 — pawn c5→c4. Now White to move.
  2. Best move: Qe5+ — queen b5→e5, gives check. Opponent replies Kh7 (king g7→h7).
  3. Best move: Qxb8 — queen e5→b8, captures rook.

Tactical themes

crushing, endgame, fork, short. The key move is Qe5+.

Position data

FEN: 1r6/4p1k1/1P4p1/1Qp4p/4P3/1BP5/2KP1qP1/8 b - - 4 36

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.