Chess Puzzle #6hNqo — Intermediate, Black to move, endgame

Rating 1559 · Intermediate · endgame, mate, mate in 2, queen endgame, short.

Position

White: king b3; queen d3; pawns b2/c3. Black: king c6; queen f7; pawns a7/d4. Material is balanced. Black to move.

Solution (2 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: Ka4 — king b3→a4. Now Black to move.
  2. Best move: Qa2+ — queen f7→a2, gives check. Opponent replies Kb4 (king a4→b4).
  3. Best move: a5# — pawn a7→a5, delivers checkmate.

Tactical themes

endgame, mate, mate in 2, queen endgame, short. The combination ends with a5# delivering checkmate.

Position data

FEN: 8/p4q2/2k5/8/3p4/1KPQ4/1P6/8 w - - 0 38

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

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