Chess Puzzle #227rh — Intermediate, White to move, middlegame

Rating 1541 · Intermediate · mate, mate in 1, middlegame, one move, pin.

Position

White: king h1; queen h5; rooks e1/f2; bishops b1/h4; knight d2; pawns a2/b2/c3/d4. Black: king e7; queen c7; rooks a8/e8; bishops c8/f8; knights d7/f6; pawns a7/b7/d5/g7. Black is ahead by 3 points of material. White to move.

Solution (1 move)

  1. Opponent setup: Kd8 — king e7→d8. Now White to move.
  2. Best move: Qxe8# — queen h5→e8, captures rook, delivers checkmate.

Tactical themes

mate, mate in 1, middlegame, one move, pin. The combination ends with Qxe8# delivering checkmate.

Position data

FEN: r1b1rb2/ppqnk1p1/5n2/3p3Q/3P3B/2P5/PP1N1R2/1B2R2K b - - 3 25

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