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

Rating 2059 · Expert · crushing, discovered attack, exposed king, fork, long, middlegame.

Position

White: king a1; queen g2; rook g1; knight e7; pawns a2/c3/d4/f4/h5. Black: king g7; queen d8; rooks b8/g8; bishop d7; pawns a5/d5/f5/h6. Black is ahead by 4 points of material. White to move.

Solution (3 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: Kf7 — king g7→f7. Now White to move.
  2. Best move: Nxg8 — knight e7→g8, captures rook. Opponent replies Qxg8 (queen d8→g8, captures knight).
  3. Best move: Qxd5+ — queen g2→d5, captures pawn, gives check. Opponent replies Be6 (bishop d7→e6).
  4. Best move: Rxg8 — rook g1→g8, captures queen.

Tactical themes

crushing, discovered attack, exposed king, fork, long, middlegame. The key move Qxd5+ captures with check, forcing a response.

Position data

FEN: 1r1q2r1/3bN1k1/7p/p2p1p1P/3P1P2/2P5/P5Q1/K5R1 b - - 1 32

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