Chess Puzzle #22su3 — Advanced, White to move, middlegame

Position

White: king g1; queen e2; rooks d1/d2; bishop g5; knight f3; pawns a2/f2/g2/h2. Black: king g8; queen b6; rooks a8/f8; bishops c8/g7; knight c6; pawns a7/b7/g6/h7. Black is ahead by 3 points of material. White to move.

Solution (2 moves)

1. Opponent setup: Bg4 — bishop c8→g4. Now White to move.
2. Best move: Qc4+ — queen e2→c4, gives check. Opponent replies Rf7 (rook f8→f7).
3. Best move: Qxg4 — queen c4→g4, captures bishop.

Tactical themes

equality, fork, middlegame, short. The key move is Qc4+.

Position data

FEN: r1b2rk1/pp4bp/1qn3p1/6B1/8/5N2/P2RQPPP/3R2K1 b - - 3 18

Solve this puzzle interactively on Brilliant Knight — free tactics training powered by Stockfish 18, no signup required.