Chess Puzzle #2C4EL — Intermediate, White to move, middlegame

Rating 1233 · Intermediate · crushing, endgame, short.

Position

White: king b2; queen f1; knight e3; pawns a2/c3/c4/d3/e4/h4/h6. Black: king h7; queen d7; bishop h5; knight e7; pawns a7/b6/c7/d6/e5/g6. Black is ahead by 2 points of material. White to move.

Solution (2 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: Kxh6 — king h7→h6, captures pawn. Now White to move.
  2. Best move: Qf8+ — queen f1→f8, gives check. Opponent replies Kh7 (king h6→h7).
  3. Best move: Qf7+ — queen f8→f7, gives check.

Tactical themes

crushing, endgame, short. The key move is Qf8+.

Position data

FEN: 8/p1pqn2k/1p1p2pP/4p2b/2P1P2P/2PPN3/PK6/5Q2 b - - 0 30

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