Chess Puzzle #5Yb3x — Advanced, White to move, middlegame

Position

White: king f1; queen b2; rook a1; bishops c2/f2; knight c4; pawns b3/e5/f4/g2/h4. Black: king g8; queen b5; rooks a8/d8; bishop g4; knight d7; pawns a6/b7/c7/f7/g7/h6. Black is ahead by 3 points of material. White to move.

Solution (2 moves)

1. Opponent setup: Nc5 — knight d7→c5. Now White to move.
2. Best move: Ra5 — rook a1→a5. Opponent replies Qd7 (queen b5→d7).
3. Best move: Rxc5 — rook a5→c5, captures knight.

Tactical themes

equality, middlegame, short, skewer. The key move is Ra5.

Position data

FEN: r2r2k1/1ppn1pp1/p6p/1q2P3/2N2PbP/1P6/1QB2BP1/R4K2 b - - 0 40

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