Chess Puzzle #45viE — Beginner, White to move, middlegame

Position

White: king c1; queen h5; rook h1; bishop g1; knight g5; pawns b2/c2/f4/h3. Black: king f8; queen d8; rook a2; bishop g7; knights b8/f5; pawns b5/d5/d6/f7. Black is ahead by 3 points of material. White to move.

Solution (2 moves)

1. Opponent setup: Qf6 — queen d8→f6. Now White to move.
2. Best move: Nh7+ — knight g5→h7, gives check. Opponent replies Ke7 (king f8→e7).
3. Best move: Nxf6 — knight h7→f6, captures queen.

Tactical themes

crushing, fork, master, master vs master, middlegame, short. The key move is Nh7+.

Position data

FEN: 1n1q1k2/5pb1/3p4/1p1p1nNQ/5P2/7P/rPP5/2K3BR b - - 0 23

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