Chess Puzzle #2Emk6 — Intermediate, White to move, middlegame

Position

White: king h2; queen g4; rook e7; bishop g3; pawns a2/b3/g2/h3. Black: king g6; queen f1; rooks f8/h8; bishop f6; pawns a6/c7/d6/f4. Black is ahead by 5 points of material. White to move.

Solution (2 moves)

1. Opponent setup: Kh6 — king g6→h6. Now White to move.
2. Best move: Bxf4+ — bishop g3→f4, captures pawn, gives check. Opponent replies Qxf4+ (queen f1→f4, captures bishop, gives check).
3. Best move: Qxf4+ — queen g4→f4, captures queen, gives check.

Tactical themes

crushing, middlegame, short. The key move Bxf4+ captures with check, forcing a response.

Position data

FEN: 5r1r/2p1R3/p2p1bk1/8/5pQ1/1P4BP/P5PK/5q2 b - - 1 37

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