Chess Puzzle #1lTV5 — Beginner, White to move, middlegame

Rating 1051 · Beginner · advantage, fork, middlegame, short.

Position

White: king g1; queen h6; rooks c1/e1; knights e4/f3; pawns a2/b2/d4/f2/g2/h2. Black: king h8; queen d7; rooks a8/f8; bishops b7/e7; pawns a7/b6/e6/f6/f7/h7. Material is balanced. White to move.

Solution (2 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: Rg8 — rook f8→g8. Now White to move.
  2. Best move: Nxf6 — knight e4→f6, captures pawn. Opponent replies Bxf6 (bishop e7→f6, captures knight).
  3. Best move: Qxf6+ — queen h6→f6, captures bishop, gives check.

Tactical themes

advantage, fork, middlegame, short. The key move Qxf6+ captures with check, forcing a response.

Position data

FEN: r4r1k/pb1qbp1p/1p2pp1Q/8/3PN3/5N2/PP3PPP/2R1R1K1 b - - 7 19

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.