Chess Puzzle #77mei — Intermediate, White to move, middlegame

Position

White: king a1; queen e8; rook h8; knight f5; pawns b2/b3/c2/d4/g3. Black: king c7; queen g5; rooks d7/f6; knight g4; pawns a7/b7/d5/f7. Black is ahead by 4 points of material. White to move.

Solution (2 moves)

1. Opponent setup: Qxf5 — queen g5→f5, captures knight. Now White to move.
2. Best move: Qc8+ — queen e8→c8, gives check. Opponent replies Kb6 (king c7→b6).
3. Best move: Qc5+ — queen c8→c5, gives check.

Tactical themes

endgame, equality, short. The key move is Qc8+.

Position data

FEN: 4Q2R/ppkr1p2/5r2/3p1Nq1/3P2n1/1P4P1/1PP5/K7 b - - 0 34

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