Chess Puzzle #5Shg8 — Advanced, White to move, middlegame

Position

White: king g1; queen a4; rook d1; bishop e3; knight f3; pawns f2/g2/h3. Black: king g8; queen c7; rooks a8/c8; bishop g7; pawns a6/e6/f7/g6/h7. Black is ahead by 4 points of material. White to move.

Solution (2 moves)

1. Opponent setup: Qc2 — queen c7→c2. Now White to move.
2. Best move: Rd8+ — rook d1→d8, gives check. Opponent replies Rxd8 (rook c8→d8, captures rook).
3. Best move: Qxc2 — queen a4→c2, captures queen.

Tactical themes

advantage, deflection, middlegame, short. The key move is Rd8+.

Position data

FEN: r1r3k1/2q2pbp/p3p1p1/8/Q7/4BN1P/5PP1/3R2K1 b - - 6 35

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