Chess Puzzle #4l1II — Intermediate, White to move, middlegame

Rating 1249 · Intermediate · mate, mate in 2, middlegame, short.

Position

White: king c1; queen h3; rooks f5/h4; pawns a3/b2/c2/e5/g2/g5. Black: king g8; queen d8; rooks c8/f8; knight e6; pawns a6/b6/d5/f7/g6. Black is ahead by 2 points of material. White to move.

Solution (2 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: Nxg5 — knight e6→g5, captures pawn. Now White to move.
  2. Best move: Rh8+ — rook h4→h8, gives check. Opponent replies Kg7 (king g8→g7).
  3. Best move: Qh6# — queen h3→h6, delivers checkmate.

Tactical themes

mate, mate in 2, middlegame, short. The combination ends with Qh6# delivering checkmate.

Position data

FEN: 2rq1rk1/5p2/pp2n1p1/3pPRP1/7R/P6Q/1PP3P1/2K5 b - - 1 26

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