Chess Puzzle #5GCrz — Expert, White to move, middlegame

Position

White: king g1; queen c7; rook a1; bishop g2; knight d4; pawns a2/b2/c2/e2. Black: king h8; queen h4; rook a8; bishop f5; knight g4; pawns a7/b7/e3/g7/h7. Black is ahead by 1 point of material. White to move.

Solution (3 moves)

1. Opponent setup: Rc8 — rook a8→c8. Now White to move.
2. Best move: Qxg7+ — queen c7→g7, captures pawn, gives check. Opponent replies Kxg7 (king h8→g7, captures queen).
3. Best move: Nxf5+ — knight d4→f5, captures bishop, gives check. Opponent replies Kf6 (king g7→f6).
4. Best move: Nxh4 — knight f5→h4, captures queen.

Tactical themes

advantage, attraction, fork, long, middlegame, sacrifice. The key move Qxg7+ captures with check, forcing a response.

Position data

FEN: r6k/ppQ3pp/8/5b2/3N2nq/4p3/PPP1P1B1/R5K1 b - - 4 25

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