Chess Puzzle #38nsp — Expert, White to move, middlegame

Position

White: king g1; queen a7; rooks c6/d1; bishop b5; pawns a2/b2/e3/f2/g3. Black: king d7; queen b8; rooks d8/h8; bishop e6; pawns b7/d5/g4/g5/h4. Material is balanced. White to move.

Solution (3 moves)

1. Opponent setup: Ke7 — king d7→e7. Now White to move.
2. Best move: Qc5+ — queen a7→c5, gives check. Opponent replies Kf6 (king e7→f6).
3. Best move: Rc7 — rook c6→c7. Opponent replies Qxc7 (queen b8→c7, captures rook).
4. Best move: Qxc7 — queen c5→c7, captures queen.

Tactical themes

crushing, long, middlegame. The key move is Qc5+.

Position data

FEN: 1q1r3r/Qp1k4/2R1b3/1B1p2p1/6pp/4P1P1/PP3P2/3R2K1 b - - 2 26

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