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

Position

White: king h1; queen c4; rooks a1/f3; bishops a2/b2; knight c3; pawns b3/c2/f5/g2/h2. Black: king e8; queen d8; rooks c8/h8; bishops c6/d4; knight b4; pawns a5/c5/d6/g6/h7. Material is balanced. White to move.

Solution (2 moves)

1. Opponent setup: Nxc2 — knight b4→c2, captures pawn. Now White to move.
2. Best move: Qe6+ — queen c4→e6, gives check. Opponent replies Qe7 (queen d8→e7).
3. Best move: Qxc8+ — queen e6→c8, captures rook, gives check.

Tactical themes

crushing, deflection, middlegame, short. The key move Qxc8+ captures with check, forcing a response.

Position data

FEN: 2rqk2r/7p/2bp2p1/p1p2P2/1nQb4/1PN2R2/BBP3PP/R6K b k - 2 25

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