Chess Puzzle #33XOd — Beginner, White to move, middlegame

Position

White: king h1; queen c7; bishops a3/d3; pawns a2/d4/e5/g2/h3. Black: king g8; queen f2; rook a8; bishop b7; pawns a7/b6/d5/g7/h7. Black is ahead by 2 points of material. White to move.

Solution (2 moves)

1. Opponent setup: Qf7 — queen f2→f7. Now White to move.
2. Best move: Bxh7+ — bishop d3→h7, captures pawn, gives check. Opponent replies Kxh7 (king g8→h7, captures bishop).
3. Best move: Qxf7 — queen c7→f7, captures queen.

Tactical themes

crushing, deflection, endgame, short. The key move Bxh7+ captures with check, forcing a response.

Position data

FEN: r5k1/pbQ3pp/1p6/3pP3/3P4/B2B3P/P4qP1/7K b - - 0 23

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