Chess Puzzle #2A3v4 — Intermediate, Black to move, middlegame

Rating 1252 · Intermediate · advantage, discovered attack, middlegame, short.

Position

White: king h2; queen e2; rooks a1/f1; bishops c1/d3; knight f3; pawns a4/b2/c4/d5/g4/h3. Black: king g8; queen c7; rooks b8/f8; bishop g7; knights e5/f6; pawns a6/b7/c5/e6/f7/g6/h7. Black is ahead by 1 point of material. Black to move.

Solution (2 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: Qxe5 — queen e2→e5, captures knight. Now Black to move.
  2. Best move: Nxg4+ — knight f6→g4, captures pawn, gives check. Opponent replies hxg4 (pawn h3→g4, captures knight).
  3. Best move: Bxe5+ — bishop g7→e5, captures queen, gives check.

Tactical themes

advantage, discovered attack, middlegame, short. The key move Nxg4+ captures with check, forcing a response.

Position data

FEN: 1r3rk1/1pq2pbp/p3pnp1/2pPn3/P1P3P1/3B1N1P/1P2Q2K/R1B2R2 w - - 0 18

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