Chess Puzzle #44r37 — Beginner, White to move, middlegame

Rating 1019 · Beginner · fork, mate, mate in 2, middlegame, short.

Position

White: king g1; queen h5; rooks d1/h2; knights a3/d3; pawns a2/b2/c3/d4/f5/h6. Black: king h7; queen c8; rooks d8/e8; bishop b7; knight e4; pawns a6/b6/c5/d5/f6/g5. Material is balanced. White to move.

Solution (2 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: Qxf5 — queen c8→f5, captures pawn. Now White to move.
  2. Best move: Qf7+ — queen h5→f7, gives check. Opponent replies Kh8 (king h7→h8).
  3. Best move: Qg7# — queen f7→g7, delivers checkmate.

Tactical themes

fork, mate, mate in 2, middlegame, short. The combination ends with Qg7# delivering checkmate.

Position data

FEN: 2qrr3/1b5k/pp3p1P/2pp1PpQ/3Pn3/N1PN4/PP5R/3R2K1 b - - 2 28

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