Chess Puzzle #4SZem — Advanced, White to move, middlegame

Rating 1906 · Advanced · clearance, discovered attack, equality, kingside attack, long, middlegame.

Position

White: king g1; queen d3; rooks f1/f3; bishop e1; knight f4; pawns c3/d4/e5/g2/h3. Black: king g8; queen b3; rooks c4/f8; bishop a3; knight e4; pawns a4/d5/e6/f7/g7/h7. Black is ahead by 1 point of material. White to move.

Solution (3 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: Be7 — bishop a3→e7. Now White to move.
  2. Best move: Nxe6 — knight f4→e6, captures pawn. Opponent replies fxe6 (pawn f7→e6, captures knight).
  3. Best move: Rxf8+ — rook f3→f8, captures rook, gives check. Opponent replies Bxf8 (bishop e7→f8, captures rook).
  4. Best move: Qf3 — queen d3→f3.

Tactical themes

clearance, discovered attack, equality, kingside attack, long, middlegame, sacrifice. The key move Rxf8+ captures with check, forcing a response.

Position data

FEN: 5rk1/5ppp/4p3/3pP3/p1rPnN2/bqPQ1R1P/6P1/4BRK1 b - - 3 28

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