Chess Puzzle #3cs5G — Intermediate, White to move, middlegame

Rating 1338 · Intermediate · mate, mate in 1, middlegame, one move.

Position

White: king e1; queen a3; rooks a1/h1; bishop g6; knight d2; pawns a2/b2/c3/e3/f2/g2/g3. Black: king e7; queen d8; rooks b8/h8; bishop d7; knight f6; pawns a7/b7/c7/d5/e6/g7/h6. Material is balanced. White to move.

Solution (1 move)

  1. Opponent setup: c5 — pawn c7→c5. Now White to move.
  2. Best move: Qxc5# — queen a3→c5, captures pawn, delivers checkmate.

Tactical themes

mate, mate in 1, middlegame, one move. The combination ends with Qxc5# delivering checkmate.

Position data

FEN: 1r1q3r/pppbk1p1/4pnBp/3p4/8/Q1P1P1P1/PP1N1PP1/R3K2R b KQ - 7 15

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