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

Rating 1581 · Intermediate · mate, mate in 2, middlegame, sacrifice, short.

Position

White: king g1; queen f5; rooks e1/e6; pawns a3/b4/f2/g2/h2. Black: king d8; queen c7; rooks c8/f8; bishop b2; pawns a7/b6/d7/g5/h6. Black is ahead by 3 points of material. White to move.

Solution (2 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: Bg7 — bishop b2→g7. Now White to move.
  2. Best move: Qxf8+ — queen f5→f8, captures rook, gives check. Opponent replies Bxf8 (bishop g7→f8, captures queen).
  3. Best move: Re8# — rook e6→e8, delivers checkmate.

Tactical themes

mate, mate in 2, middlegame, sacrifice, short. The combination ends with Re8# delivering checkmate.

Position data

FEN: 2rk1r2/p1qp4/1p2R2p/5Qp1/1P6/P7/1b3PPP/4R1K1 b - - 4 25

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.