Chess Puzzle #3XndF — Advanced, Black to move, middlegame

Rating 1622 · Advanced · kingside attack, mate, mate in 2, middlegame, short.

Position

White: king g1; queen c5; rooks a1/f1; bishops c1/g2; knight e2; pawns a2/b2/e3. Black: king b8; queen h4; rooks d8/h8; knight g8; pawns a7/b7/c7/f6/g4/g5. White is ahead by 3 points of material. Black to move.

Solution (2 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: Rf2 — rook f1→f2. Now Black to move.
  2. Best move: Qh2+ — queen h4→h2, gives check. Opponent replies Kf1 (king g1→f1).
  3. Best move: Rd1# — rook d8→d1, delivers checkmate.

Tactical themes

kingside attack, mate, mate in 2, middlegame, short. The combination ends with Rd1# delivering checkmate.

Position data

FEN: 1k1r2nr/ppp5/5p2/2Q3p1/6pq/4P3/PP2N1B1/R1B2RK1 w - - 0 19

Solve this puzzle interactively on Brilliant Knight — free tactics training powered by Stockfish 18, no signup required.

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