Chess Puzzle #6rlnO — Intermediate, White to move, middlegame

Position

White: king g1; queen e2; rooks a1/f1; bishop d2; knights d5/h2; pawns a6/b4/c2/e4/f2/g2. Black: king g8; queen c8; rooks a8/f8; bishops c4/e7; knight f6; pawns d6/e5/f7/g7/h6. White is ahead by 1 point of material. White to move.

Solution (2 moves)

1. Opponent setup: Bxe2 — bishop c4→e2, captures queen. Now White to move.
2. Best move: Nxe7+ — knight d5→e7, captures bishop, gives check. Opponent replies Kh7 (king g8→h7).
3. Best move: Nxc8 — knight e7→c8, captures queen.

Tactical themes

equality, fork, hanging piece, middlegame, short. The key move Nxe7+ captures with check, forcing a response.

Position data

FEN: r1q2rk1/4bpp1/P2p1n1p/3Np3/1Pb1P3/8/2PBQPPN/R4RK1 b - - 1 20

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