Chess Puzzle #8rgXr — Advanced, Black to move, opening

Position

White: king g1; queen d1; rooks c1/f1; bishops e2/f4; knight e5; pawns a4/c3/d4/e3/f2/g4/h3. Black: king g8; queen h4; rooks a8/f8; bishop g6; knights a5/e4; pawns a6/b7/c7/d5/f7/g7/h7. Material is balanced. Black to move.

Solution (3 moves)

1. Opponent setup: Kh2 — king g1→h2. Now Black to move.
2. Best move: Nxf2 — knight e4→f2, captures pawn. Opponent replies Qe1 (queen d1→e1).
3. Best move: Qxh3+ — queen h4→h3, captures pawn, gives check. Opponent replies Kg1 (king h2→g1).
4. Best move: Be4 — bishop g6→e4.

Tactical themes

advantage, defensive move, long, middlegame. The key move Qxh3+ captures with check, forcing a response.

Position data

FEN: r4rk1/1pp2ppp/p5b1/n2pN3/P2PnBPq/2P1P2P/4BP2/2RQ1RK1 w - - 3 17

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