Chess Puzzle #3SOlH — Beginner, Black to move, middlegame

Rating 1022 · Beginner · advantage, fork, middlegame, short.

Position

White: king e1; queen a5; rooks d1/h1; bishop a8; knight e2; pawns a2/f2/g2/h2. Black: king c8; queen b2; rook h8; bishops d5/f8; pawns a7/e6/f7/g7/h7. White is ahead by 4 points of material. Black to move.

Solution (2 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: Bxd5 — bishop a8→d5, captures bishop. Now Black to move.
  2. Best move: Bb4+ — bishop f8→b4, gives check. Opponent replies Qxb4 (queen a5→b4, captures bishop).
  3. Best move: Qxb4+ — queen b2→b4, captures queen, gives check.

Tactical themes

advantage, fork, middlegame, short. The key move Qxb4+ captures with check, forcing a response.

Position data

FEN: B1k2b1r/p4ppp/4p3/Q2b4/8/8/Pq2NPPP/3RK2R w K - 0 21

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