Chess Puzzle #1mT1l — Beginner, White to move, endgame

Position

White: king h1; queen e4; rook c2; knight d5; pawn g6. Black: king h8; queen g5; rook d8; bishop g7; pawns c3/f7/h7. Black is ahead by 2 points of material. White to move.

Solution (2 moves)

1. Opponent setup: Rxd5 — rook d8→d5, captures knight. Now White to move.
2. Best move: Qe8+ — queen e4→e8, gives check. Opponent replies Bf8 (bishop g7→f8).
3. Best move: Qxf8# — queen e8→f8, captures bishop, delivers checkmate.

Tactical themes

endgame, mate, mate in 2, short. The combination ends with Qxf8# delivering checkmate.

Position data

FEN: 3r3k/5pbp/6P1/3N2q1/4Q3/2p5/2R5/7K b - - 0 33

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