Chess Puzzle #68wya — Advanced, Black to move, middlegame

Position

White: king h1; queen d6; rooks a1/f1; knights b5/h4; pawns a2/b2/c2/d5. Black: king d8; queen e4; rooks a8/f8; knight d7; pawns a7/b7/c5/h2/h7. White is ahead by 2 points of material. Black to move.

Solution (2 moves)

1. Opponent setup: Kxh2 — king h1→h2, captures pawn. Now Black to move.
2. Best move: Qxh4+ — queen e4→h4, captures knight, gives check. Opponent replies Kg2 (king h2→g2).
3. Best move: Rg8+ — rook f8→g8, gives check.

Tactical themes

crushing, hanging piece, middlegame, short. The key move Qxh4+ captures with check, forcing a response.

Position data

FEN: r2k1r2/pp1n3p/3Q4/1NpP4/4q2N/8/PPP4p/R4R1K w - - 0 20

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