Chess Puzzle #9H5Gx — Intermediate, White to move, middlegame

Rating 1566 · Intermediate · deflection, mate, mate in 2, middlegame, short.

Position

White: king c1; queen f7; rooks d1/h1; bishop f1; knight d6; pawns a2/b2/c2/f3/g5/h2. Black: king e7; queen e5; rooks a8/h8; bishop c8; knights c7/d7; pawns a4/b7/c6/g7/h7. Black is ahead by 2 points of material. White to move.

Solution (2 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: Kd8 — king e7→d8. Now White to move.
  2. Best move: Nxb7+ — knight d6→b7, captures pawn, gives check. Opponent replies Bxb7 (bishop c8→b7, captures knight).
  3. Best move: Qxd7# — queen f7→d7, captures knight, delivers checkmate.

Tactical themes

deflection, mate, mate in 2, middlegame, short. The combination ends with Qxd7# delivering checkmate.

Position data

FEN: r1b4r/1pnnkQpp/2pN4/4q1P1/p7/5P2/PPP4P/2KR1B1R b - - 0 21

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