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

Rating 1330 · Intermediate · endgame, mate, mate in 2, short.

Position

White: king b1; queen h7; rook f1; knight g5; pawns a2/b2/c2. Black: king g8; queen d5; rooks a8/e8; pawns a7/b7/c7/d6/f7/g4/h5. Black is ahead by 6 points of material. White to move.

Solution (2 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: Kf8 — king g8→f8. Now White to move.
  2. Best move: Rxf7+ — rook f1→f7, captures pawn, gives check. Opponent replies Qxf7 (queen d5→f7, captures rook).
  3. Best move: Qxf7# — queen h7→f7, captures queen, delivers checkmate.

Tactical themes

endgame, mate, mate in 2, short. The combination ends with Qxf7# delivering checkmate.

Position data

FEN: r3r1k1/ppp2p1Q/3p4/3q2Np/6p1/8/PPP5/1K3R2 b - - 3 28

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