Chess Puzzle #2ASku — Expert, White to move, middlegame

Position

White: king h2; queen a7; knight h7; pawns d3/f4/g2/h3. Black: king e7; queen d5; bishop f7; pawns a4/b5/d6/f5/g6. Black is ahead by 1 point of material. White to move.

Solution (3 moves)

1. Opponent setup: Ke6 — king e7→e6. Now White to move.
2. Best move: Qe3+ — queen a7→e3, gives check. Opponent replies Kd7 (king e6→d7).
3. Best move: Nf6+ — knight h7→f6, gives check. Opponent replies Kc6 (king d7→c6).
4. Best move: Nxd5 — knight f6→d5, captures queen.

Tactical themes

crushing, endgame, fork, long. The key move is Qe3+.

Position data

FEN: 8/Q3kb1N/3p2p1/1p1q1p2/p4P2/3P3P/6PK/8 b - - 2 39

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