Chess Puzzle #209ey — Beginner, Black to move, middlegame

Rating 916 · Beginner · crushing, fork, middlegame, short.

Position

White: king e1; queen d1; rooks c3/h1; bishops e3/h3; pawns a2/b2/d5/f2/f3/h4. Black: king b8; queen d7; rooks d8/h8; knights e5/g8; pawns a7/b7/e6/f7/g7/h7. Material is balanced. Black to move.

Solution (2 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: Qd4 — queen d1→d4. Now Black to move.
  2. Best move: Nxf3+ — knight e5→f3, captures pawn, gives check. Opponent replies Ke2 (king e1→e2).
  3. Best move: Nxd4+ — knight f3→d4, captures queen, gives check.

Tactical themes

crushing, fork, middlegame, short. The key move Nxf3+ captures with check, forcing a response.

Position data

FEN: 1k1r2nr/pp1q1ppp/4p3/3Pn3/7P/2R1BP1B/PP3P2/3QK2R w K - 1 15

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