Chess Puzzle #AXKO4 — Intermediate, Black to move, middlegame

Rating 1444 · Intermediate · crushing, endgame, short.

Position

White: king h2; queen g5; rooks a1/h8; pawns a3/b2/f3. Black: king f7; queen e2; bishop b6; knight h5; pawns a7/b7/c7/g6. White is ahead by 3 points of material. Black to move.

Solution (2 moves)

  1. Opponent setup: Kh3 — king h2→h3. Now Black to move.
  2. Best move: Qxf3+ — queen e2→f3, captures pawn, gives check. Opponent replies Kh2 (king h3→h2).
  3. Best move: Qf2+ — queen f3→f2, gives check.

Tactical themes

crushing, endgame, short. The key move Qxf3+ captures with check, forcing a response.

Position data

FEN: 7R/ppp2k2/1b4p1/6Qn/8/P4P2/1P2q2K/R7 w - - 1 32

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