Chess Puzzle #1qUC5 — Intermediate, White to move, middlegame

Rating 1221 · Intermediate · mate, mate in 2, middlegame, short.

Position

White: king h1; queen h4; rooks d1/g2; bishop a4; pawns a2/c3/f2/h2. Black: king e7; queen f3; rooks a8/c8; bishops e5/e6; pawns a7/b7/f7/g7. Black is ahead by 3 points of material. White to move.

Solution (2 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: Bf6 — bishop e5→f6. Now White to move.
  2. Best move: Qb4+ — queen h4→b4, gives check. Opponent replies Rc5 (rook c8→c5).
  3. Best move: Qxc5# — queen b4→c5, captures rook, delivers checkmate.

Tactical themes

mate, mate in 2, middlegame, short. The combination ends with Qxc5# delivering checkmate.

Position data

FEN: r1r5/pp2kpp1/4b3/4b3/B6Q/2P2q2/P4PRP/3R3K b - - 5 25

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