Chess Puzzle #3DyCM — Advanced, White to move, middlegame

Rating 1667 · Advanced · crushing, middlegame, short.

Position

White: king e1; queen f8; rooks a1/h1; knight c3; pawns a2/b2/c5/d4/e3/f2/g2/h4. Black: king g6; queen d7; rook a8; bishops c7/c8; knight b8; pawns a7/b7/c6/d5/e6/f6/g7. Material is balanced. White to move.

Solution (2 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: Qd8 — queen d7→d8. Now White to move.
  2. Best move: h5+ — pawn h4→h5, gives check. Opponent replies Kh7 (king g6→h7).
  3. Best move: Qf7 — queen f8→f7.

Tactical themes

crushing, middlegame, short. The key move is h5+.

Position data

FEN: rnb2Q2/ppbq2p1/2p1ppk1/2Pp4/3P3P/2N1P3/PP3PP1/R3K2R b KQ - 0 16

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Puzzle data from the Lichess puzzle database (CC0). Analysis powered by Stockfish 18 in your browser.