Chess Puzzle #1vSSj — Beginner, Black to move, middlegame

Rating 992 · Beginner · crushing, endgame, fork, master, master vs master, short.

Position

White: king h2; queen e7; bishop c1; pawns c4/e5/e6/f4/g3/h3. Black: king h7; queen f5; knight g7; pawns a7/c5/g6/h6. White is ahead by 2 points of material. Black to move.

Solution (2 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: Qf7 — queen e7→f7. Now Black to move.
  2. Best move: Qc2+ — queen f5→c2, gives check. Opponent replies Kg1 (king h2→g1).
  3. Best move: Qxc1+ — queen c2→c1, captures bishop, gives check.

Tactical themes

crushing, endgame, fork, master, master vs master, short. The key move Qxc1+ captures with check, forcing a response.

Position data

FEN: 8/p3Q1nk/4P1pp/2p1Pq2/2P2P2/6PP/7K/2B5 w - - 3 38

Solve this puzzle interactively on Brilliant Knight — free tactics training powered by Stockfish 18, no signup required.

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