Chess Puzzle #49FrM — Beginner, White to move, middlegame

Rating 1150 · Beginner · mate, mate in 2, middlegame, short.

Position

White: king h1; queen d6; rooks b1/f1; bishop b3; pawns a2/c2/f4/g2. Black: king h8; queen g3; rooks a8/f8; bishop f5; pawns a7/b7/e4/g6/h7. Black is ahead by 1 point of material. White to move.

Solution (2 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: Rad8 — rook a8→d8. Now White to move.
  2. Best move: Qe5+ — queen d6→e5, gives check. Opponent replies Rf6 (rook f8→f6).
  3. Best move: Qxf6# — queen e5→f6, captures rook, delivers checkmate.

Tactical themes

mate, mate in 2, middlegame, short. The combination ends with Qxf6# delivering checkmate.

Position data

FEN: r4r1k/pp5p/3Q2p1/5b2/4pP2/1B4q1/P1P3P1/1R3R1K b - - 0 24

Solve this puzzle interactively on Brilliant Knight — free tactics training powered by Stockfish 18, no signup required.

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