Chess Puzzle #43yfK — Advanced, White to move, middlegame

Rating 1933 · Advanced · deflection, fork, mate, mate in 4, middlegame, sacrifice.

Position

White: king g2; queen f3; rooks b7/d7; bishop c8; pawns f2/g5/h4. Black: king g8; queen e4; rooks a2/f8; bishop d8; pawns d6/e5/f7/g7/h7. Black is ahead by 2 points of material. White to move.

Solution (4 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: Qxh4 — queen e4→h4, captures pawn. Now White to move.
  2. Best move: Qxf7+ — queen f3→f7, captures pawn, gives check. Opponent replies Rxf7 (rook f8→f7, captures queen).
  3. Best move: Rxd8+ — rook d7→d8, captures bishop, gives check. Opponent replies Rf8 (rook f7→f8).
  4. Best move: Be6+ — bishop c8→e6, gives check. Opponent replies Kh8 (king g8→h8).
  5. Best move: Rxf8# — rook d8→f8, captures rook, delivers checkmate.

Tactical themes

deflection, fork, mate, mate in 4, middlegame, sacrifice, very long. The combination ends with Rxf8# delivering checkmate.

Position data

FEN: 2Bb1rk1/1R1R1ppp/3p4/4p1P1/4q2P/5Q2/r4PK1/8 b - - 1 31

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