Chess Puzzle #5BtOc — Intermediate, White to move, middlegame

Rating 1254 · Intermediate · advantage, endgame, fork, short.

Position

White: king h1; queen e7; bishop b1; knight d3; pawns a2/b3/f3/g2/h3. Black: king g8; queen b8; bishops c6/d4; pawns a6/b6/f7/g6/h7. Material is balanced. White to move.

Solution (2 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: Qb7 — queen b8→b7. Now White to move.
  2. Best move: Qd8+ — queen e7→d8, gives check. Opponent replies Kg7 (king g8→g7).
  3. Best move: Qxd4+ — queen d8→d4, captures bishop, gives check.

Tactical themes

advantage, endgame, fork, short. The key move Qxd4+ captures with check, forcing a response.

Position data

FEN: 1q4k1/4Qp1p/ppb3p1/8/3b4/1P1N1P1P/P5P1/1B5K b - - 5 31

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