Chess Puzzle #3SkEI — Intermediate, White to move, middlegame

Rating 1223 · Intermediate · crushing, endgame, short.

Position

White: king b1; queen d5; bishop f5; pawns a4/b3/c2/c4/e4/g2/h3. Black: king f8; queen e7; rook e6; pawns a7/b4/c7/f6/h6. Material is balanced. White to move.

Solution (2 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: c6 — pawn c7→c6. Now White to move.
  2. Best move: Qxe6 — queen d5→e6, captures rook. Opponent replies Qxe6 (queen e7→e6, captures queen).
  3. Best move: Bxe6 — bishop f5→e6, captures queen.

Tactical themes

crushing, endgame, short. The key move Qxe6 wins material.

Position data

FEN: 5k2/p1p1q3/4rp1p/3Q1B2/PpP1P3/1P5P/2P3P1/1K6 b - - 4 35

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