Chess Puzzle #1xD9u — Expert, Black to move, middlegame

Rating 2398 · Expert · equality, middlegame, short.

Position

White: king g1; queen f7; rooks d1/f1; bishop b2; pawns a3/b4/c5/e4/g3/h2. Black: king h8; queen h3; rook a8; bishop e7; knight c6; pawns a7/b7/e5/f4/g6. White is ahead by 3 points of material. Black to move.

Solution (2 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: Qxg6 — queen f7→g6, captures pawn. Now Black to move.
  2. Best move: Rg8 — rook a8→g8. Opponent replies Qf5 (queen g6→f5).
  3. Best move: Rxg3+ — rook g8→g3, captures pawn, gives check.

Tactical themes

equality, middlegame, short. The key move Rxg3+ captures with check, forcing a response.

Position data

FEN: r6k/pp2bQ2/2n3p1/2P1p3/1P2Pp2/P5Pq/1B5P/3R1RK1 w - - 1 31

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