Chess Puzzle #2hSB8 — Intermediate, White to move, middlegame

Rating 1270 · Intermediate · attraction, long, mate, mate in 3, middlegame, sacrifice.

Position

White: king g2; queen h4; rooks a1/f1; bishop c4; pawns a2/b3/d4/f3. Black: king h8; queen b6; rooks d8/f8; knight h7; pawns a7/b7/c6/g6/g7. Black is ahead by 1 point of material. White to move.

Solution (3 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: Qxd4 — queen b6→d4, captures pawn. Now White to move.
  2. Best move: Qxh7+ — queen h4→h7, captures knight, gives check. Opponent replies Kxh7 (king h8→h7, captures queen).
  3. Best move: Rh1+ — rook f1→h1, gives check. Opponent replies Qh4 (queen d4→h4).
  4. Best move: Rxh4# — rook h1→h4, captures queen, delivers checkmate.

Tactical themes

attraction, long, mate, mate in 3, middlegame, sacrifice. The combination ends with Rxh4# delivering checkmate.

Position data

FEN: 3r1r1k/pp4pn/1qp3p1/8/2BP3Q/1P3P2/P5K1/R4R2 b - - 3 28

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