Chess Puzzle #4ET8I — Intermediate, Black to move, middlegame

Rating 1326 · Intermediate · fork, mate, mate in 2, middlegame, short.

Position

White: king g1; queen d1; rooks a1/f1; bishops c1/g2; knight c3; pawns a2/b2/c2/c6/e4/f4. Black: king b8; queen h4; rooks d8/h8; knight g4; pawns a7/b7/c7/d6/f7/g6/h5. White is ahead by 5 points of material. Black to move.

Solution (2 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: Bh3 — bishop g2→h3. Now Black to move.
  2. Best move: Qg3+ — queen h4→g3, gives check. Opponent replies Bg2 (bishop h3→g2).
  3. Best move: Qh2# — queen g3→h2, delivers checkmate.

Tactical themes

fork, mate, mate in 2, middlegame, short. The combination ends with Qh2# delivering checkmate.

Position data

FEN: 1k1r3r/ppp2p2/2Pp2p1/7p/4PPnq/2N5/PPP3B1/R1BQ1RK1 w - - 2 18

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