Chess Puzzle #27ii8 — Beginner, White to move, middlegame

Rating 917 · Beginner · deflection, endgame, mate, mate in 2, short.

Position

White: king h1; queen h5; rook g1; pawns b4/e5/f4/h2. Black: king h7; queen c4; rooks a8/f8; knight f5; pawns a7/b6/c7/e6. Black is ahead by 8 points of material. White to move.

Solution (2 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: Nh6 — knight f5→h6. Now White to move.
  2. Best move: Qg6+ — queen h5→g6, gives check. Opponent replies Kh8 (king h7→h8).
  3. Best move: Qxh6# — queen g6→h6, captures knight, delivers checkmate.

Tactical themes

deflection, endgame, mate, mate in 2, short. The combination ends with Qxh6# delivering checkmate.

Position data

FEN: r4r2/p1p4k/1p2p3/4Pn1Q/1Pq2P2/8/7P/6RK b - - 1 23

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