Chess Puzzle #3sM4g — Advanced, Black to move, middlegame

Rating 1835 · Advanced · advantage, middlegame, queenside attack, short.

Position

White: king b1; queen c3; rooks d1/h1; bishops f1/f4; knight f3; pawns a2/b3/f2/g2/h4. Black: king g8; queen d8; rooks a3/f8; bishops e6/f6; pawns b7/c7/d6/f7/g7/h7. White is ahead by 2 points of material. Black to move.

Solution (2 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: Qc2 — queen c3→c2. Now Black to move.
  2. Best move: Bxb3 — bishop e6→b3, captures pawn. Opponent replies Qxb3 (queen c2→b3, captures bishop).
  3. Best move: Rxb3+ — rook a3→b3, captures queen, gives check.

Tactical themes

advantage, middlegame, queenside attack, short. The key move Rxb3+ captures with check, forcing a response.

Position data

FEN: 3q1rk1/1pp2ppp/3pbb2/8/5B1P/rPQ2N2/P4PP1/1K1R1B1R w - - 1 16

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