Chess Puzzle #1nD5D — Intermediate, White to move, middlegame

Rating 1251 · Intermediate · exposed king, long, mate, mate in 3, middlegame.

Position

White: king b1; queen g6; rook h1; knight d5; pawns a2/b2/c2/h3. Black: king g8; queen d4; rooks a8/f8; bishops c8/e5; pawns a6/b5. Black is ahead by 6 points of material. White to move.

Solution (3 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: Bg7 — bishop e5→g7. Now White to move.
  2. Best move: Ne7+ — knight d5→e7, gives check. Opponent replies Kh8 (king g8→h8).
  3. Best move: Qh5+ — queen g6→h5, gives check. Opponent replies Bh6 (bishop g7→h6).
  4. Best move: Qxh6# — queen h5→h6, captures bishop, delivers checkmate.

Tactical themes

exposed king, long, mate, mate in 3, middlegame. The combination ends with Qxh6# delivering checkmate.

Position data

FEN: r1b2rk1/8/p5Q1/1p1Nb3/3q4/7P/PPP5/1K5R b - - 0 23

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Puzzle data from the Lichess puzzle database (CC0). Analysis powered by Stockfish 18 in your browser.