Chess Puzzle #2p3il — Intermediate, White to move, middlegame

Rating 1470 · Intermediate · mate, mate in 2, middlegame, short.

Position

White: king h1; queen a4; rooks a1/f1; bishop c1; knights b1/e5; pawns a2/b2/d2/f4/g2/h2. Black: king e8; queen b6; rooks a8/h8; bishops f8/g4; knight f5; pawns a7/c4/d5/e6/g7/h4. Material is balanced. White to move.

Solution (2 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: Ke7 — king e8→e7. Now White to move.
  2. Best move: Qd7+ — queen a4→d7, gives check. Opponent replies Kf6 (king e7→f6).
  3. Best move: Qf7# — queen d7→f7, delivers checkmate.

Tactical themes

mate, mate in 2, middlegame, short. The combination ends with Qf7# delivering checkmate.

Position data

FEN: r3kb1r/p5p1/1q2p3/3pNn2/Q1p2Pbp/8/PP1P2PP/RNB2R1K b kq - 1 15

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