Chess Puzzle #3dGpa — Expert, White to move, middlegame

Position

White: king e1; queen h4; rook a1; bishop d3; knight d2; pawns a2/b2/d5/e3/f2/g2. Black: king h8; queen e5; rooks a8/f8; bishop c8; pawns a7/b7/c7/d6/f7/h7. Black is ahead by 2 points of material. White to move.

Solution (2 moves)

1. Opponent setup: Bf5 — bishop c8→f5. Now White to move.
2. Best move: Nc4 — knight d2→c4. Opponent replies Qxd5 (queen e5→d5, captures pawn).
3. Best move: Qf6+ — queen h4→f6, gives check.

Tactical themes

advantage, middlegame, short. The key move is Nc4.

Position data

FEN: r1b2r1k/ppp2p1p/3p4/3Pq3/7Q/3BP3/PP1N1PP1/R3K3 b Q - 1 20

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