Chess Puzzle #26TVq — Beginner, White to move, middlegame

Position

White: king f2; queen d4; knight f5; pawns a3/e5/f4/g2/h2. Black: king g8; queen e8; rook f8; knight c1; pawns a7/b6/d5/f7/g7/h7. Black is ahead by 6 points of material. White to move.

Solution (2 moves)

1. Opponent setup: Qc8 — queen e8→c8. Now White to move.
2. Best move: Ne7+ — knight f5→e7, gives check. Opponent replies Kh8 (king g8→h8).
3. Best move: Nxc8 — knight e7→c8, captures queen.

Tactical themes

crushing, endgame, fork, master, short. The key move is Ne7+.

Position data

FEN: 4qrk1/p4ppp/1p6/3pPN2/3Q1P2/P7/5KPP/2n5 b - - 1 27

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