Chess Puzzle #22vla — Advanced, White to move, endgame

Position

White: king e1; queen d1; rook d7; knight e2; pawn g2. Black: king g7; queen g4; rook a2; pawns a3/b4/g6/h7. Material is balanced. White to move.

Solution (3 moves)

1. Opponent setup: Kh6 — king g7→h6. Now White to move.
2. Best move: Qc1+ — queen d1→c1, gives check. Opponent replies Qg5 (queen g4→g5).
3. Best move: Rxh7+ — rook d7→h7, captures pawn, gives check. Opponent replies Kxh7 (king h6→h7, captures rook).
4. Best move: Qxg5 — queen c1→g5, captures queen.

Tactical themes

crushing, deflection, endgame, long, pin. The key move Rxh7+ captures with check, forcing a response.

Position data

FEN: 8/3R2kp/6p1/8/1p4q1/p7/r3N1P1/3QK3 b - - 3 38

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