Chess Puzzle #2BZfL — Beginner, White to move, middlegame

Rating 1135 · Beginner · fork, mate, mate in 2, middlegame, short.

Position

White: king b3; queen f7; rook a1; bishop c1; knight g5; pawns a2/b2/c2/d2/h2. Black: king d8; queen f1; rooks a8/h8; bishops c5/e2; knight e4; pawns a7/b7/g7/h7. Black is ahead by 7 points of material. White to move.

Solution (2 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: Nd6 — knight e4→d6. Now White to move.
  2. Best move: Ne6+ — knight g5→e6, gives check. Opponent replies Kc8 (king d8→c8).
  3. Best move: Qc7# — queen f7→c7, delivers checkmate.

Tactical themes

fork, mate, mate in 2, middlegame, short. The combination ends with Qc7# delivering checkmate.

Position data

FEN: r2k3r/pp3Qpp/8/2b3N1/4n3/1K6/PPPPb2P/R1B2q2 b - - 1 18

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

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