Chess Puzzle #3tF3U — Intermediate, White to move, middlegame

Rating 1230 · Intermediate · crushing, fork, middlegame, short.

Position

White: king g1; queen g4; rooks a1/f1; bishop a8; pawns a2/b3/d4/e2/f2/g3/h2. Black: king d7; queen d6; rook h8; bishop a6; knights b8/d2; pawns a7/b4/e6/f6/g7/h7. Material is balanced. White to move.

Solution (2 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: Nxf1 — knight d2→f1, captures rook. Now White to move.
  2. Best move: Qxg7+ — queen g4→g7, captures pawn, gives check. Opponent replies Ke8 (king d7→e8).
  3. Best move: Qxh8+ — queen g7→h8, captures rook, gives check.

Tactical themes

crushing, fork, middlegame, short. The key move Qxg7+ captures with check, forcing a response.

Position data

FEN: Bn5r/p2k2pp/b2qpp2/8/1p1P2Q1/1P4P1/P2nPP1P/R4RK1 b - - 2 19

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