Chess Puzzle #3XlSQ — Intermediate, Black to move, middlegame

Rating 1318 · Intermediate · crushing, endgame, master, pin, short.

Position

White: king g1; queen d2; bishop f6; knight e1; pawns a2/b3/c4/e5/f4/g2/h2. Black: king g8; queen c6; bishops a8/f8; pawns a6/d4/e6/f7/g6/h5. White is ahead by 1 point of material. Black to move.

Solution (2 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: Qxd4 — queen d2→d4, captures pawn. Now Black to move.
  2. Best move: Bc5 — bishop f8→c5. Opponent replies Qxc5 (queen d4→c5, captures bishop).
  3. Best move: Qxc5+ — queen c6→c5, captures queen, gives check.

Tactical themes

crushing, endgame, master, pin, short. The key move Qxc5+ captures with check, forcing a response.

Position data

FEN: b4bk1/5p2/p1q1pBp1/4P2p/2Pp1P2/1P6/P2Q2PP/4N1K1 w - - 0 33

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