Chess Puzzle #4XP4C — Intermediate, White to move, middlegame

Position

White: king h4; queen e5; rook a8; bishop d3; knight f7; pawns f6/h2. Black: king h6; queen d8; rook g8; bishops b4/d5; knights b8/d1; pawns b7/h7. Black is ahead by 6 points of material. White to move.

Solution (2 moves)

1. Opponent setup: Bxf7 — bishop d5→f7, captures knight. Now White to move.
2. Best move: Qf4+ — queen e5→f4, gives check. Opponent replies Rg5 (rook g8→g5).
3. Best move: Qxg5# — queen f4→g5, captures rook, delivers checkmate.

Tactical themes

fork, mate, mate in 2, middlegame, short. The combination ends with Qxg5# delivering checkmate.

Position data

FEN: Rn1q2r1/1p3N1p/5P1k/3bQ3/1b5K/3B4/7P/3n4 b - - 5 40

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