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

Rating 1235 · Intermediate · advantage, kingside attack, middlegame, short.

Position

White: king g1; queen h5; rooks f3/g3; bishop d3; knight d2; pawns a2/b2/c3/d4/f2/g2/h3. Black: king g8; queen f6; rooks c8/e8; bishops d7/g7; knight f5; pawns a7/b7/d5/e6/f7. Black is ahead by 1 point of material. White to move.

Solution (2 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: Nxg3 — knight f5→g3, captures rook. Now White to move.
  2. Best move: Qh7+ — queen h5→h7, gives check. Opponent replies Kf8 (king g8→f8).
  3. Best move: Rxf6 — rook f3→f6, captures queen.

Tactical themes

advantage, kingside attack, middlegame, short. The key move is Qh7+.

Position data

FEN: 2r1r1k1/pp1b1pb1/4pq2/3p1n1Q/3P4/2PB1RRP/PP1N1PP1/6K1 b - - 11 21

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.