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

Position

White: king g1; queen d2; rook f3; bishop f2; pawns a3/b2/g2/h2. Black: king c8; queen h5; rook h8; knights c6/h6; pawns a7/b7/f4/g5/h7. Black is ahead by 4 points of material. White to move.

Solution (2 moves)

1. Opponent setup: Ne5 — knight c6→e5. Now White to move.
2. Best move: Qc3+ — queen d2→c3, gives check. Opponent replies Kd7 (king c8→d7).
3. Best move: Qxe5 — queen c3→e5, captures knight.

Tactical themes

crushing, fork, middlegame, short. The key move is Qc3+.

Position data

FEN: 2k4r/pp5p/2n4n/6pq/5p2/P4R2/1P1Q1BPP/6K1 b - - 1 25

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