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

Rating 2385 · Expert · crushing, endgame, exposed king, long, skewer.

Position

White: king e1; queen b6; rook b2; pawns a3/c4/d4/e3. Black: king c8; queen g7; rooks d8/h8; knight e4; pawns c6/e6/g4/h4. Black is ahead by 8 points of material. White to move.

Solution (3 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: Nd6 — knight e4→d6. Now White to move.
  2. Best move: Qb8+ — queen b6→b8, gives check. Opponent replies Kd7 (king c8→d7).
  3. Best move: Qa7+ — queen b8→a7, gives check. Opponent replies Ke8 (king d7→e8).
  4. Best move: Qxg7 — queen a7→g7, captures queen.

Tactical themes

crushing, endgame, exposed king, long, skewer. The key move is Qb8+.

Position data

FEN: 2kr3r/6q1/1Qp1p3/8/2PPn1pp/P3P3/1R6/4K3 b - - 2 28

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