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

Rating 1413 · Intermediate · dovetail mate, endgame, mate, mate in 2, queen rook endgame, short.

Position

White: king g1; queen c6; pawns a2/c2/e6/g2/h2. Black: king g6; rooks c8/h8; pawns a7/b6/c7/d6/f4/g5/h6. Black is ahead by 3 points of material. White to move.

Solution (2 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: Kh7 — king g6→h7. Now White to move.
  2. Best move: Qd7+ — queen c6→d7, gives check. Opponent replies Kg6 (king h7→g6).
  3. Best move: Qf7# — queen d7→f7, delivers checkmate.

Tactical themes

dovetail mate, endgame, mate, mate in 2, queen rook endgame, short. The combination ends with Qf7# delivering checkmate.

Position data

FEN: 2r4r/p1p5/1pQpP1kp/6p1/5p2/8/P1P3PP/6K1 b - - 0 25

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