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

Rating 1426 · Intermediate · endgame, mate, mate in 2, short.

Position

White: king g1; queen e5; bishop h6; pawns a2/c3/d4/f2/g2/h3. Black: king g8; queen d7; knight e7; pawns a7/b7/d5/f7/g6/h7. Material is balanced. White to move.

Solution (2 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: Nf5 — knight e7→f5. Now White to move.
  2. Best move: Qb8+ — queen e5→b8, gives check. Opponent replies Qc8 (queen d7→c8).
  3. Best move: Qxc8# — queen b8→c8, captures queen, delivers checkmate.

Tactical themes

endgame, mate, mate in 2, short. The combination ends with Qxc8# delivering checkmate.

Position data

FEN: 6k1/pp1qnp1p/6pB/3pQ3/3P4/2P4P/P4PP1/6K1 b - - 4 23

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