Chess Puzzle #7gk8B — Intermediate, White to move, middlegame

Rating 1498 · Intermediate · attraction, kingside attack, long, mate, mate in 3, middlegame.

Position

White: king h1; queen f3; rooks g1/h5; bishop b3; pawns a2/b2/c2/d3/e4/h2. Black: king h8; queen g6; rooks e7/f8; bishop c5; pawns a7/b7/c7/d4/e5/f6/g7/h7. Black is ahead by 2 points of material. White to move.

Solution (3 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: Qe8 — queen g6→e8. Now White to move.
  2. Best move: Rxh7+ — rook h5→h7, captures pawn, gives check. Opponent replies Kxh7 (king h8→h7, captures rook).
  3. Best move: Qh3+ — queen f3→h3, gives check. Opponent replies Qh5 (queen e8→h5).
  4. Best move: Qxh5# — queen h3→h5, captures queen, delivers checkmate.

Tactical themes

attraction, kingside attack, long, mate, mate in 3, middlegame, sacrifice. The combination ends with Qxh5# delivering checkmate.

Position data

FEN: 5r1k/ppp1r1pp/5pq1/2b1p2R/3pP3/1B1P1Q2/PPP4P/6RK b - - 3 23

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