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

Rating 1519 · Intermediate · crushing, endgame, short.

Position

White: king g1; queen a7; rooks e1/e2; pawns a2/b2/c3/e5/f3/g2. Black: king g8; queen g5; rooks e7/e8; pawns b7/c6/d5/f7/g6/h6. Material is balanced. White to move.

Solution (2 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: Rxe5 — rook e7→e5, captures pawn. Now White to move.
  2. Best move: Rxe5 — rook e2→e5, captures rook. Opponent replies Rxe5 (rook e8→e5, captures rook).
  3. Best move: Qb8+ — queen a7→b8, gives check.

Tactical themes

crushing, endgame, short. The key move Rxe5 wins material.

Position data

FEN: 4r1k1/Qp2rp2/2p3pp/3pP1q1/8/2P2P2/PP2R1P1/4R1K1 b - - 0 28

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.