Chess Puzzle #1hYIW — Expert, White to move, middlegame

Position

White: king f1; queen b7; rook a1; bishop c1; knights c6/e4; pawns a2/b2/f3/g2/h3. Black: king g8; queen f6; rooks a8/e8; bishop d6; knight d3; pawns a7/f7/g7/h7. Black is ahead by 1 point of material. White to move.

Solution (3 moves)

1. Opponent setup: Rxe4 — rook e8→e4, captures knight. Now White to move.
2. Best move: Ne7+ — knight c6→e7, gives check. Opponent replies Bxe7 (bishop d6→e7, captures knight).
3. Best move: Qxa8+ — queen b7→a8, captures rook, gives check. Opponent replies Bf8 (bishop e7→f8).
4. Best move: Qxe4 — queen a8→e4, captures rook.

Tactical themes

advantage, fork, long, middlegame. The key move Qxa8+ captures with check, forcing a response.

Position data

FEN: r3r1k1/pQ3ppp/2Nb1q2/8/4N3/3n1P1P/PP4P1/R1B2K2 b - - 2 20

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