Chess Puzzle #3znmE — Beginner, Black to move, opening

Position

White: king e1; queen d1; rooks a1/h1; bishops c1/f1; knight f3; pawns a2/b2/c2/e2/e5/f2/g2/h2. Black: king e8; queen d8; rooks a8/h8; bishop g4; knights b4/g8; pawns a7/b7/c7/f7/g7/h7. White is ahead by 2 points of material. Black to move.

Solution (2 moves)

1. Opponent setup: Qxd8+ — queen d1→d8, captures queen, gives check. Now Black to move.
2. Best move: Rxd8 — rook a8→d8, captures queen. Opponent replies Bd2 (bishop c1→d2).
3. Best move: Nxc2+ — knight b4→c2, captures pawn, gives check.

Tactical themes

advantage, opening, short. The key move Nxc2+ captures with check, forcing a response.

Position data

FEN: r2qk1nr/ppp2ppp/8/4P3/1n4b1/5N2/PPP1PPPP/R1BQKB1R w KQkq - 0 7

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