Chess Puzzle #9rlZY — Master, Black to move, middlegame

Position

White: king c1; queen g4; rooks d1/e1; bishop h6; knight f3; pawns b2/c2/f2/g2/h2. Black: king g8; queen e7; rooks b8/e8; bishop a2; knight e4; pawns a7/c6/f7/g6/h7. Material is balanced. Black to move.

Solution (3 moves)

1. Opponent setup: Rd7 — rook d1→d7. Now Black to move.
2. Best move: Qb4 — queen e7→b4. Opponent replies Rxe4 (rook e1→e4, captures knight).
3. Best move: Rxe4 — rook e8→e4, captures rook. Opponent replies Qg5 (queen g4→g5).
4. Best move: Qxb2+ — queen b4→b2, captures pawn, gives check.

Tactical themes

advantage, long, middlegame, queenside attack. The key move Qxb2+ captures with check, forcing a response.

Position data

FEN: 1r2r1k1/p3qp1p/2p3pB/8/4n1Q1/5N2/bPP2PPP/2KRR3 w - - 0 19

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