Chess Puzzle #2t4Ji — Intermediate, Black to move, middlegame

Rating 1367 · Intermediate · advantage, fork, middlegame, short.

Position

White: king g1; queen e6; rook b1; bishop c2; knights g3/g5; pawns a2/d4/e5/g2/h2. Black: king h8; queen c3; rook a8; bishops a6/f8; knight e7; pawns a4/c7/d5/g6/h7. Material is balanced. Black to move.

Solution (2 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: Qf7 — queen e6→f7. Now Black to move.
  2. Best move: Qe3+ — queen c3→e3, gives check. Opponent replies Kh1 (king g1→h1).
  3. Best move: Qxg5 — queen e3→g5, captures knight.

Tactical themes

advantage, fork, middlegame, short. The key move is Qe3+.

Position data

FEN: r4b1k/2p1n2p/b3Q1p1/3pP1N1/p2P4/2q3N1/P1B3PP/1R4K1 w - - 0 24

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.