Chess Puzzle #52WOn — Beginner, Black to move, middlegame

Position

White: king g1; queen d4; rooks d1/f1; bishop g2; pawns a2/b3/e3/f2/g3/h2. Black: king g8; queen f6; rooks a8/f8; knight c3; pawns a7/b7/c6/e6/g7/h7. Material is balanced. Black to move.

Solution (2 moves)

1. Opponent setup: Rd3 — rook d1→d3. Now Black to move.
2. Best move: Ne2+ — knight c3→e2, gives check. Opponent replies Kh1 (king g1→h1).
3. Best move: Nxd4 — knight e2→d4, captures queen.

Tactical themes

crushing, fork, middlegame, short. The key move is Ne2+.

Position data

FEN: r4rk1/pp4pp/2p1pq2/8/3Q4/1Pn1P1P1/P4PBP/3R1RK1 w - - 3 21

Solve this puzzle interactively on Brilliant Knight — free tactics training powered by Stockfish 18, no signup required.