Chess Puzzle #1y38b — Expert, White to move, middlegame

Rating 2258 · Expert · advantage, middlegame, pin, short.

Position

White: king g1; queen c3; rook e1; bishops f4/h3; pawns a3/f2/g3/h2. Black: king c8; queen b7; rooks d8/e8; bishop b5; knight a6; pawns c6/e6/g6/h7. Black is ahead by 5 points of material. White to move.

Solution (2 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: Rd3 — rook d8→d3. Now White to move.
  2. Best move: Rxe6 — rook e1→e6, captures pawn. Opponent replies Qd7 (queen b7→d7).
  3. Best move: Rxe8+ — rook e6→e8, captures rook, gives check.

Tactical themes

advantage, middlegame, pin, short. The key move Rxe8+ captures with check, forcing a response.

Position data

FEN: 2krr3/1q5p/n1p1p1p1/1b6/5B2/P1Q3PB/5P1P/4R1K1 b - - 3 30

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.