Chess Puzzle #53vsc — Beginner, White to move, middlegame

Rating 1001 · Beginner · crushing, fork, middlegame, short.

Position

White: king e1; queen d1; rooks a1/h1; knight e4; pawns a2/c3/c4/f2/g2/h3. Black: king e8; queen b4; rooks a8/h8; bishop c8; pawns a7/b7/e5/f7/g7/h6. Material is balanced. White to move.

Solution (2 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: Qxc4 — queen b4→c4, captures pawn. Now White to move.
  2. Best move: Nd6+ — knight e4→d6, gives check. Opponent replies Ke7 (king e8→e7).
  3. Best move: Nxc4 — knight d6→c4, captures queen.

Tactical themes

crushing, fork, middlegame, short. The key move is Nd6+.

Position data

FEN: r1b1k2r/pp3pp1/7p/4p3/1qP1N3/2P4P/P4PP1/R2QK2R b KQkq - 0 16

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

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