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

Rating 1045 · Beginner · advantage, fork, middlegame, short.

Position

White: king g1; queen f3; rooks a1/e6; bishop c1; knight b5; pawns a2/b2/c2/f2/g2/h2. Black: king e8; queen c8; rooks a8/h8; bishop e7; knights b8/f6; pawns a7/b7/g7/h7. Black is ahead by 1 point of material. White to move.

Solution (2 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: Qxe6 — queen c8→e6, captures rook. Now White to move.
  2. Best move: Nc7+ — knight b5→c7, gives check. Opponent replies Kd7 (king e8→d7).
  3. Best move: Nxe6 — knight c7→e6, captures queen.

Tactical themes

advantage, fork, middlegame, short. The key move is Nc7+.

Position data

FEN: rnq1k2r/pp2b1pp/4Rn2/1N6/8/5Q2/PPP2PPP/R1B3K1 b kq - 0 13

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.