Chess Puzzle #37fYe — Master, White to move, middlegame

Position

White: king f3; queen d5; rook d3; knight d6; pawns b3/e5/f5/g4/h5. Black: king g8; queen a2; rook b8; bishop f8; pawns c5/d4/f7/g5/h7. Material is balanced. White to move.

Solution (2 moves)

1. Opponent setup: Qc2 — queen a2→c2. Now White to move.
2. Best move: Qxf7+ — queen d5→f7, captures pawn, gives check. Opponent replies Kh8 (king g8→h8).
3. Best move: Qc4 — queen f7→c4.

Tactical themes

crushing, endgame, master, short. The key move Qxf7+ captures with check, forcing a response.

Position data

FEN: 1r3bk1/5p1p/3N4/2pQPPpP/3p2P1/1P1R1K2/q7/8 b - - 10 46

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