Chess Puzzle #4toS9 — Beginner, White to move, middlegame

Position

White: king h2; queen f1; rook a7; knight c6; pawns f2/g2/h3. Black: king g8; queen a2; rook d2; knight c3; pawns e6/f6/g6/h7. Black is ahead by 1 point of material. White to move.

Solution (2 moves)

1. Opponent setup: Qd5 — queen a2→d5. Now White to move.
2. Best move: Ne7+ — knight c6→e7, gives check. Opponent replies Kf8 (king g8→f8).
3. Best move: Nxd5 — knight e7→d5, captures queen.

Tactical themes

crushing, endgame, fork, short. The key move is Ne7+.

Position data

FEN: 6k1/R6p/2N1ppp1/8/8/2n4P/q2r1PPK/5Q2 b - - 0 28

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