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

Rating 1544 · Intermediate · advantage, fork, middlegame, short.

Position

White: king f3; rooks c1/f1; bishop g3; knights a3/g7; pawns a2/b2/d4/f2/g4/h4. Black: king d8; queen a5; rook h8; bishop e7; knight f7; pawns a7/b7/d5/g6. White is ahead by 1 point of material. White to move.

Solution (2 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: Bxa3 — bishop e7→a3, captures knight. Now White to move.
  2. Best move: Bc7+ — bishop g3→c7, gives check. Opponent replies Kd7 (king d8→d7).
  3. Best move: Bxa5 — bishop c7→a5, captures queen.

Tactical themes

advantage, fork, middlegame, short. The key move is Bc7+.

Position data

FEN: 3k3r/pp2bnN1/6p1/q2p4/3P2PP/N4KB1/PP3P2/2R2R2 b - - 0 28

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