Chess Puzzle #6yd3D — Expert, White to move, middlegame

Position

White: king d1; queen c5; rook g1; bishop c1; knight d4; pawns a3/b2/e5/f2/g4/h2. Black: king e8; queen e4; rooks a8/h8; knight a1; pawns a7/b7/d3/e6/f7/g7/h7. Black is ahead by 3 points of material. White to move.

Solution (3 moves)

1. Opponent setup: Rd8 — rook a8→d8. Now White to move.
2. Best move: Bg5 — bishop c1→g5. Opponent replies Kd7 (king e8→d7).
3. Best move: f3 — pawn f2→f3. Opponent replies Qd5 (queen e4→d5).
4. Best move: Qxd5+ — queen c5→d5, captures queen, gives check.

Tactical themes

equality, long, middlegame. The key move Qxd5+ captures with check, forcing a response.

Position data

FEN: r3k2r/pp3ppp/4p3/2Q1P3/3Nq1P1/P2p4/1P3P1P/n1BK2R1 b kq - 3 19

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