Chess Puzzle #2ZG7S — Beginner, White to move, middlegame

Rating 1089 · Beginner · mate, mate in 2, middlegame, short.

Position

White: king g1; queen h5; rooks b7/f1; bishop d3; knight f6; pawns c2/f2/g2/h2. Black: king g8; queen d8; rooks a8/e8; bishops d4/d5; pawns a7/f7/g7. White is ahead by 1 point of material. White to move.

Solution (2 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: Qxf6 — queen d8→f6, captures knight. Now White to move.
  2. Best move: Qh7+ — queen h5→h7, gives check. Opponent replies Kf8 (king g8→f8).
  3. Best move: Qh8# — queen h7→h8, delivers checkmate.

Tactical themes

mate, mate in 2, middlegame, short. The combination ends with Qh8# delivering checkmate.

Position data

FEN: r2qr1k1/pR3pp1/5N2/3b3Q/3b4/3B4/2P2PPP/5RK1 b - - 2 21

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