Chess Puzzle #3HA3p — Intermediate, White to move, endgame

Rating 1446 · Intermediate · crushing, endgame, master, queen endgame, short, skewer.

Position

White: king f3; queen d1; pawn g3. Black: king c3; queen e6; pawn e3. Material is balanced. White to move.

Solution (2 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: Qe5 — queen e6→e5. Now White to move.
  2. Best move: Qa1+ — queen d1→a1, gives check. Opponent replies Kc2 (king c3→c2).
  3. Best move: Qxe5 — queen a1→e5, captures queen.

Tactical themes

crushing, endgame, master, queen endgame, short, skewer. The key move is Qa1+.

Position data

FEN: 8/8/4q3/8/8/2k1pKP1/8/3Q4 b - - 3 76

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