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

Rating 2316 · Expert · advantage, fork, long, middlegame, sacrifice.

Position

White: king g1; queen d1; rook f2; bishop d3; pawns a3/b4/e3/e5/g2/h3. Black: king g8; queen f8; rook c3; bishops b7/e7; pawns a6/b5/d5/e6/g7/h7. Black is ahead by 3 points of material. White to move.

Solution (3 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: Qc8 — queen f8→c8. Now White to move.
  2. Best move: Qh5 — queen d1→h5. Opponent replies Rxd3 (rook c3→d3, captures bishop).
  3. Best move: Qf7+ — queen h5→f7, gives check. Opponent replies Kh8 (king g8→h8).
  4. Best move: Qxe7 — queen f7→e7, captures bishop.

Tactical themes

advantage, fork, long, middlegame, sacrifice. The key move is Qh5.

Position data

FEN: 5qk1/1b2b1pp/p3p3/1p1pP3/1P6/P1rBP2P/5RP1/3Q2K1 b - - 1 24

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